Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Peter the Cruel, 1334–69, Spanish king of Castile and León (1350–69), son and successor of Alfonso XI. His desertion of his wife, Blanche of Bourbon, for María Padilla and his favors to the Padi...

(Encyclopedia) Peter of Dreux: see Peter I, duke or count of Brittany. ...

(Encyclopedia) Pelham, Peter pĕlˈəm [key], c.1695–1751, American engraver and painter, b. England; stepfather of John Singleton Copley. After studying and practicing in England, Pelham settled (c.1728) in Bosto...

(Encyclopedia) Roches, Peter des dā rōsh [key], d. 1238, English churchman and statesman, b. Poitou. A chamberlain under Richard I of England, then entered the service of King John, who gave him rich estates and m...

(Encyclopedia) Spitz, Mark Andrew, 1950–, American swimmer, b. Modesto, Calif. He held records for winning the most gold medals at one Olympic game (seven, in 1972 at Munich) and shared the record for most Olympic...

(Encyclopedia) McGwire, Mark David məgwīrˈ [key], 1963–, American baseball player, b. Pomona, Calif. A muscular first baseman who was a college and Olympic (1984) star, McGwire broke into the American League as...

(Encyclopedia) Flötner or Flettner, Peter pāˈtər flötˈnər, flĕtˈnər [key], c.1485–1546, German medalist and artisan, possibly Swiss by birth. He was active in decorative sculpture, wood carving, and othe...

(Encyclopedia) Folger, Peter fōlˈjər [key], 1617–90, British settler on Nantucket. He was associated with Thomas Mayhew on Martha's Vineyard, becoming missionary, schoolmaster, and surveyor. He moved to Nantuck...

(Encyclopedia) Matthiessen, Peter măthˈəsən [key], American writer, naturalist, and adventurer, b. New York City, grad. Yale (1950). A founder (1951) of the literary Paris Review, he published his first novel, R...

(Encyclopedia) Clark, Mark Wayne, 1896–1984, U.S. general, b. Madison Barracks, N.Y. A West Point graduate, he served as a captain in World War I and rose to become (1942) army ground forces chief of staff. During...