Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, 1836–1907, American author and editor, b. Portsmouth, N.H. His most widely read work was The Story of a Bad Boy (1870), a vigorous narrative based on his own boyhood. His sho...

(Encyclopedia) American Philosophical Society, first scientific society in America, founded (1743) in Philadelphia. It was an outgrowth of the Junto formed (1727) by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was the first secreta...

(Encyclopedia) Klaus, Josef yōˈzĕf klous [key], 1910–2001, Austrian politician. He was drafted into the army and fought in World War II on the Axis side. Chosen leader (1963) of the business- and church-oriente...

(Encyclopedia) Żeromski, Stefan stĕˈfän zhĕrômˈskē [key], 1864–1925, Polish writer. Family tragedies and emotional troubles contributed to the pessimistic strain evident in his revolutionary idealism. Amon...

(Encyclopedia) benediction [Lat.,=blessing], solemn blessing usually administered in the name of God by a priest or a minister. The temple worship at Jerusalem had fixed forms of benedictions, and Christians have al...

(Encyclopedia) Ball, Thomas, 1819–1911, American sculptor, b. Charlestown, Mass.; son of a house and sign painter. Thomas Ball was also a singer of reputation, the first in the United States to sing the title role...

(Encyclopedia) Ballia bŭlˈyə [key], town, Uttar Pradesh state, N central India. Situated on a rich alluvi...

(Encyclopedia) Reiner, Fritz rīnˈər [key], 1888–1963, American conductor, b. Budapest. After serving as conductor of the People's Opera in Budapest (1911–14) and the Court Opera in Dresden (1914–21), he cam...

(Encyclopedia) Amorites ămˈərīts [key], a people of Canaan. There is evidence of them in Babylonia, where in the 19th cent. b.c. they established under their patronage the first dynasty at Babylon. The most powe...

(Encyclopedia) Al Shabab or Al Shabaab [key], [Arab.,=the youth], Islamic fundamentalist militia based in Somalia. One of several hardline Somali Islamist militias, Al Shabab has operated primarily in southern and ...