Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia)  Reynolds, Debbie, 1932-2016, American actress, singer, and dancer, b. El Paso, Tx., as Mary Frances Reynolds. Reynolds’ family relocated from El Paso...

(Encyclopedia) Ramayana rämäˈyənə [key] [story of Rama], classical Sanskrit epic of India, probably composed in the 3d cent. b.c. Based on numerous legends, it is traditionally the work of Valmiki, one of the m...

(Encyclopedia) Gandhi, Rajiv gänˈdē, räjēvˈ [key], 1944–91, prime minister of India (1984–89). Oldest son of Indira Gandhi, he flew for Indian Airlines until his brother died in 1981 and he was drafted in...

(Encyclopedia) Linus, in Greek mythology. 1 Son of Apollo and Psamathe of Argos. He was deserted by his mother on a hillside and devoured by dogs. When Psamathe's father learned what his daughter had done, he had he...

(Encyclopedia) Muscat, Maskat, or Masqat all: mŭsˈkăt, mŭsˈkət [key], city (1993 pop. 533,774), capital of Oman, SE Arabia, on the Gulf of Oman. It is flanked by rugged mountains. Muscat, which has a fine har...

(Encyclopedia) nursery rhymes, verses, generally brief and usually anonymous, for children. The best-known examples are in English and date mostly from the 17th cent. A popular type of rhyme is used in “counting-o...

(Encyclopedia) Acca Larentia –tīˈnə [key], in Roman mythology, wife of the shepherd Faustulus and foster mother of Romulus and Remus. Her 12 sons founded the priesthood of the Arval Brothers. According to one l...

(Encyclopedia) Messalina (Valeria Messalina) mĕsəlīˈnə [key], d. a.d. 48, Roman empress, wife of Claudius I. She was the mother of his children, Britannicus and Octavia. Her reputation for greed and lust was su...

(Encyclopedia) Philips, Ambrose, 1674–1749, English author. After resigning his fellowship from Cambridge in 1708, he moved to London and became known in the literary Whig coterie of Addison. He is principally rem...

(Encyclopedia) Biton klēōˈbĭs [key], in Greek mythology, sons of the priestess Cydippe. When their mother wanted to see a famous temple of Hera, which was many miles away, the brothers dragged her chariot there....