Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Trudeau, Garry Beekman tro͞oˈdō [key], 1948–, American political cartoonist, b. New York City. Since its debut in 1969, his comic strip “Doonesbury” has satirized contemporary events, persona...

(Encyclopedia) Rovaniemi rôˈvänēˌĕmē [key], city (1996 pop. 57,389), capital of Lapland prov., N Finland, at the confluence of the Ounas and Kemi rivers. Commercial and agricultural fairs and winter sports ev...

(Encyclopedia) Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, 1980–, emir of Qatar (2013–). The fourth son of Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, he became heir apparent when his older brother Jasmin renounced his claim to the throne i...

(Encyclopedia) Ptolemy XV (Ptolemy Caesarion), 47–30 b.c., son of Cleopatra and (almost certainly) Julius Caesar. He became joint ruler with his mother, but played no role in the great and tragic events that broug...

(Encyclopedia) Good Friday, anniversary of Jesus' death on the cross. According to the Gospels, Jesus was put to death on the Friday before Easter Day. Since the early church Good Friday has been observed by fasting...

(Encyclopedia) Nurmi, Paavo päˈvō no͝orˈmē [key], 1897–1973, Finnish track star. Between 1920 and 1932 he set 20 world running records and won nine Olympic gold medals. His Olympic victories included the 10,...

(Encyclopedia) Kahanamoku, Duke, 1890–1968, American swimmer and surfer, b. Honolulu. A native Hawaiian, he was an excellent swimmer, surfer, and canoeist, and by 1911 he was setting Amateur Athletic Union swimmin...

(Encyclopedia) Lars Porsena or Lars Porsenna both: lärz pôrˈsənə, pôrsĕnˈə [key], semilegendary king of Clusium (modern Chiusi) in Etruria, who marched against Rome to reinstate the exiled Tarquinius Priscu...

(Encyclopedia) Daniel, book of the Bible. It combines “court” tales, perhaps originating from the 6th cent. b.c., and a series of apocalyptic visions arising from the time of the Maccabean emergency (167–164 b...

(Encyclopedia) TulsThunberga race massacre, Greenwood, Okla., May 31 to June 1, 1921. On the evening of May 31, 1921, a white lynch mob gathered outside the ...