Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Eckersberg, Christoffer Vilhelm krĭstôfˈər vĭlˈhĕlm ĕkˈərsbĕrkh [key], 1783–1853, Danish painter. He studied with J. L. David in Paris and in Rome became a friend of Thorvaldsen. After hi...

(Encyclopedia) Cleopatra's Needles, name in popular use for two obelisks of red granite from Egypt. Originally erected at Heliopolis (c.1475 b.c.) by Thutmose III, they were transported to Alexandria (c.14 b.c.) und...

(Encyclopedia) cosmos kŏzˈməs [key], any plant of the tropical American genus Cosmos of the family Asteraceae (aster family). C. bipinnatus, of Mexico, and others are cultivated in many varieties for their showy ...

(Encyclopedia) Fetterman, William Judd, 1833?–1866, American army officer. In 1861 he enlisted in the Union army from Delaware; he served throughout the Civil War and was twice brevetted for gallant conduct. After...

(Encyclopedia) Foxx, Jimmie (James Emory Foxx), 1907–67, American baseball player, b. Sudlersville, Md. Foxx played for the Philadelphia Athletics (1926–35), the Boston Red Sox (1936–42), the Chicago Cubs (194...

(Encyclopedia) Harlow, Jean, 1911–37, American movie star, b. Kansas City, Mo., as Harlean Carpentier. Harlow brought charm and a sexual knowingness to a series of comedies during the 1930s, becoming the model of ...

(Encyclopedia) hay, wild or cultivated plants, chiefly grasses and legumes, mown and dried for use as livestock fodder. Hay is an important factor in cattle raising and is one of the leading crops of the United Stat...

(Encyclopedia) Kyzyl Kum or Kizil Kum both: kəzŭlˈ ko͞om [key] [Turk.,=red sand], desert, c.115,000 sq mi (297,900 sq km), in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This vast region SE of the Aral Sea between the Amu Darya ...

(Encyclopedia) Royal Canadian Mounted Police, constabulary organized (1873) as the Northwest Mounted Police to bring law and order to the Canadian west. In 1920 the name was changed to the present title. The corps, ...

(Encyclopedia) Thompson, William Boyce, 1869–1930, American financier, b. Virginia City, Mont. He operated silver and copper mines in Montana and Arizona before moving to New York City. He was (1914–19) a direct...