Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Katayev, Valentin Petrovich vəlyĭntyēnˈ pētrôˈvĭch kətīˈəf [key], 1897–1986, Russian novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. Katayev's novels portray almost the entire range of Sov...

(Encyclopedia) Somerset, Robert Carr, earl of, 1587?–1645, Scottish favorite of James I of England. His family name also appears as Ker. He may have accompanied James to England as a page in 1603, but he appears t...

(Encyclopedia) Wycherley, William wĭchˈərlē [key], 1640?–1716, English dramatist, b. near Shrewsbury. His first comedy, Love in a Wood (1671), was a huge success and won him the favor of the duchess of Clevela...

(Encyclopedia) Zapatero, José Luis Rodríguez hōsāˈ lo͞oēˈ rôᵺrēˈgās säpätāˈrō [key], 1960–, Spanish political leader, prime minister of Spain (2004–11), b. Valladolid. A Socialist and a lawyer...

(Encyclopedia) Stockmar, Christian Friedrich, Baron von krĭsˈtyän frēˈdrĭk bärōnˈ fŭn shtôkˈmär [key], 1787–1863, Anglo-Belgian diplomat and courtier, b. Coburg, Germany. A physician, Stockmar became ...

(Encyclopedia) Sussex, Thomas Radcliffe, 3d earl of, 1526?–1583, English nobleman. Styled Viscount Fitzwalter after his father became (1542) the 2d earl of Sussex, he served in the army in France and on diplomatic...

(Encyclopedia) Sweyn swān [key], c.960–1014, king of Denmark (986–1014), son of Harold Bluetooth. Although baptized, he reverted to paganism and rebelled against his father, who was killed in battle. Sweyn was ...

(Encyclopedia) Vanloo väNlōˈ, vänlōˈ [key], family of French painters of Dutch origin. Jacob or Jacques Vanloo, 1614–70, b. Holland, went to Paris in 1662, where he had great success as a portrait painter. H...

(Encyclopedia) Turnbull, Malcolm Bligh, 1954–, Australian political leader, b. Sidney. Educated at the Univ. of Sidney and, as a Rhodes scholar, at Oxford, he practised law and was a journalist and a successful bu...

(Encyclopedia) Richter, Johann Paul Friedrich rĭkhˈtər [key], pseud. Jean Paul, 1763–1825, German novelist. He studied theology at the Univ. of Leipzig and later taught in that city. His novels combine the ide...