Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Ventris, Michael George Francis, 1922–56, English linguist. Ventris was a student of architecture, but he became interested in the untranslated Mycenaean scripts, particularly Linear B, which was fo...

(Encyclopedia) Galahad, Sir gălˈəhădˌ [key], hero of Arthurian legend. He was the son of Launcelot and Elaine, the daughter of King Pelles. Because he was the noblest and purest of the knights of Christendom, h...

(Encyclopedia) Gawain, Sir gäˈwān, –wĭn [key], one of the most popular heroes of Arthurian legend; nephew of King Arthur. He was regarded, particularly in the early romances, as the model of chivalry—pure, b...

(Encyclopedia) Kremer, Michael Robert, 1964–, American economist, b. New York City, Ph.D. Harvard, 1992. After serving as a postdoctoral fellow (1992–93) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he taught e...

(Encyclopedia) Phelps, Michael Fred, 1985–, American swimmer, b. Baltimore. One of the world's greatest competitive swimmers, Phelps became (2001) the youngest world record holder (in the 200-m butterfly) at 15 an...

(Encyclopedia) Brooke, Sir James, 1803–68, rajah of Sarawak on Borneo, b. India, of English parents. After active service in Burma (1825–26), he retired (1830) from the army of the East India Company. He sailed ...

(Encyclopedia) Launcelot, Sir lănˈsəlŏtˌ, lŏnˈ–, lônˈ– [key], in Arthurian legend, bravest and most celebrated knight at the court of King Arthur. He was kidnapped as an infant by the mysterious Lady of...

(Encyclopedia) Bloomberg, Michael Rubens, 1942–, American businessman and politician, mayor of New York City (2002–2013), b. Boston, Mass., B.S. Johns Hopkins, 1964, M.B.A. Harvard, 1966. Rising quickly in the f...

(Encyclopedia) Rudd, Kevin Michael, 1957–, Australian political leader, b. Nambour, Queensland, grad. Australian National Univ. 1981. After working (1981–88) in the ministry of foreign affairs and trade, includi...

(Encyclopedia) Steinbrenner, George Michael, 3d, 1930–2010, American businessman, principal owner of the New York Yankees (1973–2010), b. Rocky River, Ohio, grad. Williams College (B.A., 1952). A wealthy shippin...