Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Vazov, Ivan ĭvänˈ väˈzôf [key], 1850–1921, Bulgarian poet, novelist, and playwright, the first professional man of letters in Bulgaria. His work was inspired by the political upheavals of the ...

(Encyclopedia) tritium trĭtˈēəm [key], radioactive isotope of hydrogen with mass number 3. The tritium nucleus, called a triton, contains one proton and two neutrons. It has a half-life of 12.5 years and decays ...

(Encyclopedia) robbery, in law, felonious taking of property from a person against his will by threatening or committing force or violence. The injury or threat may be directed against the person robbed, his propert...

(Encyclopedia) Schenck v. United States, case decided in 1919 by the U.S. Supreme Court. During World War I, Charles T. Schenck produced a pamphlet maintaining that the military draft was illegal, and was convicted ...

(Encyclopedia) Raman effect räˈmən [key], appearance of additional lines in the spectrum of monochromatic light that has been scattered by a transparent material medium. The effect was discovered by C. V. Raman i...

(Encyclopedia) San Francisco Ballet, America's first classical ballet company, est. 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet by the dancer Adolph Bolm. Based at the War ...

(Encyclopedia) Gelasius I, Saint jĭlāˈshēəs [key], d. 496, pope (492–96); successor of St. Felix III (also known as Felix II). He was a firm upholder of the papal supremacy in a dispute with Anastasius, the B...

(Encyclopedia) Ginkel, Godart van, 1st earl of Athlone gōˈdärt vän gĭngˈkəl [key], 1644–1703, Dutch general in the service of William III of England. He accompanied (1688) William to England and took part i...

(Encyclopedia) Frémont, Jessie Benton frēˈmŏnt [key], 1824–1902, American author, b. Lexington, Va.; daughter of Thomas H. Benton and wife of John Charles Frémont. Her elopement with the dashing Frémont caus...

(Encyclopedia) nationality, in political theory, the quality of belonging to a nation, in the sense of a group united by various strong ties. Among the usual ties are membership in the same general community, common...