People and Peoples (A-C)


A. H. L. Fizeau
A. H. L. Fizeau was a
French physicist. He was born in 1819 at Paris and died in 1896. He measured the speed of light in 1849.

Aaron
Aaron was the brother of
Moses.

Ababdeh
The Ababdeh were (are?) a nomadic
African tribe inhabiting Egypt between the Nile and the Red Sea.

Abandonee
An abandonee is an underwriter to whom the salvage of a wreck is abandoned.

Abbas
Abbas was the Uncle of
Mohammed. He was born in 566 and died in 652.

Abbasid
An Abbasid was a member of a dynasty of caliphs who ruled in
Baghdad from 750 until 1258. They claimed to be descended from Abbas.

Abbassides
The Abbassides were an Arabian dynasty, descendents of
Mahomet's uncle, Abbas-Ben-Abdul-Motalleb. Thirty-seven abbasside caliphs reigned from 750 to 1258. They settled at Baghdad.

Abbess
An Abbess is the female superior of a community of nuns.

Abbot
An abbot is the superior of a community of
monks.

ABC Club
The ABC Club was a name adopted by certain
republican enthusiasts in Paris, professing to relieve the depressed. Their insurrection on the 5th of June 1832 was suppressed with bloodshed the next day. The events of the insurrection are described by Victor Hugo in ''Les Miserables''.

Abdul Azziz Ibn Saud
Abdul Azziz Ibn Saud was
King of Saudi Arabia. He was born in 1880 in Central Arabia and died in 1953.

Abecedarian
The Abecedarian were the followers of
Nicholas Storck, a 16th century German Anabaptist. They were so called because they rejected all worldly knowledge including learning the alphabet.

Abel
In the bible, Abel was the second son of
Adam. He was killed by his brother Cain. Abel was king of Denmark in 1250. He was killed in an expedition against the Frisons.

Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman was a Dutch explorer. He discovered
Tasmania in 1642.

Abencerrages
The Abencerrages were a Moorish tribe of
Granada opposed to the Zegris. From 1480 to 1492 they constantly fought. They were exterminated by Boabdil.

Aborigine
An aborigine is a member of an indigenous people.

Abraham Bloemaart
Abraham Bloemaart was a Dutch painter. He was born in 1565 and died in 1657.

Abraham Cowley
Abraham Cowley was an
English poet. He was born in 1618 and died in 1667. He was one of the metaphysical school of poets who followed John Donne in his use of far-fetched conceits. He was a royalist and secretary to the Queen and Lord Jermyn during their exile.

Absalom
Absalom was the third and favourite son of David. He was killed leading a rebellion against his father.

Acacians
The Acacians were followers of Acacius, bishop of Caesarea, in the 4th century, who held peculiar doctrines respecting the nature of Christ. The Acacians were partisans of Acacius, patriarch of
Constantinople, promoter of the Henoticon.

Accadians
The Accadians were the primitive inhabitants of Babylonia described in the
cuneiform inscriptions.

Accountant
An accountant is someone who keeps accounts.

Achaeans
The Achaeans were one of the four races into which the ancient
Greeks were divided.

Acrobat
An acrobat is someone who performs daring gymnastics.

Actor
An actor is a dramatic performer. One who performs in plays.

Adam Sedgwick
Adam Sedgwick was an
English geologist. He was born in 1785 and died in 1873. He mapped the rocks of the lake District in 1822.

Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish economist. He was born in 1723 at Kirkcaldy and died in 1790. He wrote the first scientific work on the principles of economy, ''The Wealth of Nations''.

Adamites
The Adamites were a Gnostic sect in
Africa about 130, who appeared naked in their religious assemblies, asserting that if Adma had not sinned there would have been no marriages. Their chief was named Prodicus and they defied the elements, rejected prayer and said it was not necessary to confess Christ.

Adda
Adda was the eldest son of
Ida and king of Bernicia in 560.

Adelaide Ristori
Adelaide Ristori was an Italian
tragedy actress. She was born in 1822 and died in 1906. She wrote ''Studies and Memois''.

Adept
An adept is someone who is proficient at some thing.

Admiral
Admiral is a rank in the navy.

Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was a
German dictator. He was born in 1889 at Braunau and died in 1945 when he committed suicide. He was responsible for the Second World War and the murder of millions of Jews, Cripples, Homosexuals, Blacks, Gypsies and Communists throughout Europe.

Aedh
Aedh was
King of Scotland from 877 to 878.

Aelfric
Aelfric was a British ecclesiastical biographer. He was born in 955 and died in 1020. He wrote ''Lives of the Saints''.

Aequi
The Aequi were an Italian race subdued by the
Romans and their lands annexed between 471 and 302 BC.

Aerians
The Aerians were followers of Aerius, a presbyter, in the 4th century, who held that there was no distinction between a bishop and a presbyter and that prayers should not be offered for the dead.

Aesc
Aesc was
king of the Heptarchy in 488. He was a son of Hengist. In honour of Aesc the kings of Kent were sometimes called Aescings.

Aesop
Aesop was the author of fables about
animals. He lived around 620 - 560 BC.

Affonso de Albuquerque
Affonso de Albuquerque was a Portuguese
admiral. He was born in 1452 and died in 1515. He was viceroy of Portuguese West Africa in 1503.

Afghan
An Afghan is an inhabitant of
Afghanistan.

African
An African is an inhabitant of
Africa.

Aga
The Aga was the title of the leader of the Ottoman
empire.

Ainos
The Ainos were the aboriginal inhabitants of
Japan. They were a short race, averaging about 5 feet in height with black hair and typically hairy bodies. As recently as 1900 they inhabited the island of Yesso.

Akawaios
The Akawaios are a South American indian tribe still found in
Guyana.

Akkas
The Akkas are a dwarfish race found in Central
Africa. They average 4.5 feet in height with brown skin, large heads and a projecting jaw. They are a hunting race, renowned for their skill with a bow and arrow.

Alani
The Alani (Alans) were a warlike
Tartar tribe which migrated from Asia westwards at he time of the decline of the Roman empire. During the 5th century they merged with the Vandals.

Alans
see "
Alani"

Alaric II
Alaric II was
King of the Visigoths from 484 until 507 when he was killed at the battle of Poictiers by the army of the Franks.

Albert Camus
Albert Camus was a
French writer. He was born in 1913 and died in 1959.

Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a
German Swiss physicist, born in 1879, and died 1955.

Albert I
Albert I was
King of Belgium. He was born in 1875 and died in 1934.

Albert II
Albert II was a Holy
Roman emperor. He was born in 1397 and died in 1439. He was duke of Austria as Albert V and also crowned king of Hungary and Bohemia.

Albert Michelson
Albert Abraham Michelson was an American scientist. He was born in 1852 and died in 1931. He proved the existence of an all pervading
ether and experimented to find out the speed of light.

Albert Moore
Albert Joseph Moore was an
English artist. He was born in 1841 and died in 1893.

Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer was an Austrian doctor, writer, and religious thinker. He was born in 1875 and died in 1964.

Alboin
Alboin was
King of the Lombards from 561. He died in 573 when he was assassinated at the orders of his wife Rosamond.

Albrecht Durer
Albrecht Durer was a
German painter and engraver. He was born in 1471 at Nuremberg and died in 1528.

Albrecht Roon
Albrecht Theodor Count Von Roon was a Prussian soldier. He was born in 1803 and died in 1879. He was
German minister of war from 1859 until 1873.

Alcaeus
Alcaeus was a son of
Perseus and Andromeda.

Alderman
The
Saxon ealdorman was next to the king, and frequently a viceroy; but after the settlement of the Danes the title was gradually displaced by that of earl. Aldermen in corporations are next in dignity to the mayor.

Aldulf
Aldulf was
king of the East Angles in 664.

Alefrid
Alefrid was
king of Northumberland in 685.

Alessandro Scarlatti
Alessandro Scarlatti was an Italian composer. He was born in 1659 and died in 1725. He founded modern Italian
Opera.

Alessandro Volta
Alessandro Volta was an Italian scientist. He was born in 1745 and died in 1827. He invented the voltaic
cell. The electrical unit the volt is named after him.

Alexander Glazunov
Alexander Glazunov was a
Russian composer. He was born in 1865 at St. Petersburg and died in 1936.

Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish inventor. He was born in
Edinburgh in 1847 and died in 1922. He invented the telephone whilst working at a school for teachers of the deaf in Boston.

Alexander Humboldt
Alexander Humboldt was a
German scientist and explorer. He was born in 1769 and died in 1859. He made several expeditions to South America and Central America.

Alexander I
Alexander I was
King of Scotland from 1107 to 1124.

Alexander II
Alexander II was
King of Scotland from 1214 to 1249.

Alexander III
Alexander III was
King of Scotland from 1249 to 1286.

Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an
English poet. He was born in London in 1688, dying in 1744. He is remembered for his satire.

Alexander Pushkin
Alexander Pushkin was a
Russian poet. He was born at Moscow in 1799. He died in 1837 from wounds received duelling.

Alexandra
Queen Alexandra was the daughter of Christian IX of
Denmark. She was born in 1844, dying in 1925. She married Edward VII in 1863 when he was the prince of Wales.

Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas was a
French novelist and dramatist. He was born in 1802 and died in 1870. He wrote The Three Musketeers, The Count Of Monte Cristo and The Black Tulip.

Alexandre Vinet
Alexandre Rodolphe Vinet was a
Swiss critic and theologian. He was born in 1797 and died in 1847. He advocated complete religious freedom and in 1845 founded the Swiss Free Church.

Alexandre Wallon
Alexandre Henri Wallon was a
French historian and politician. He was born in 1812 and died in 1904.

Alfred
Alfred was
King of the west Saxons and King of England from 871 to 901.

Alfred Adler
Alfred Adler was an Austrian psychologist. He was born in 1870, dying in 1937. He put forward the theory of the inferiority complex.

Alfred de Musset
Alfred de Musset was a
French romantic poet. He was born in 1810 and died in 1857.

Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin was an Australian politician. He was born in 1856 and died in 1919. He entered the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1878 and the federal Cabinet in 1901 and became Prime Minister of
Australia in 1903, and was returned to office in 1905 to 1908 and 1909 to 1910. He was a racist, and insisted that Australia should be preserved for the white races.

Alfred Housman
Alfred Edward Housman was a British novelist. He was born in 1859 and died in 1936.

Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was a Swedish engineer and the inventor of
dynamite. He was born in 1833 at Stockholm and died in 1896. On his death he left money that annual prizes in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and the cause of peace could be made (the Nobel prizes).

Alfred Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson was an
English poet. He was born in 1809 and died in 1892.

Alfred Wallace
Alfred Russel Wallace was an
English naturalist. He was born in 1823 and died in 1913. He made important discoveries regarding the geographical distribution of animals and independantly of Darwin formulated the theory of natural selection.

Alfwold
Alfwold was
king of Northumberland in 806.

Algernon Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an
English poet. He was born in 1837 and died in 1909.

Algonkins
The Algonkins are a family of North American Indians, they consisted of four groups: The Eastern group comprising the
Massachusetts, Narragansets, Mohicans, Delewares and others; North Eastern group; Western group comprising the Miamis, Illinis and others; North Western group including the Ojibbewas.

Ali Bey
Ali Bey was a ruler of
Egypt. He was born in 1728 in the Caucasus and died in 1773. He was taken to Egypt and sold as a slave, but became virtual governor of Egypt.

Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha was an Albanian chief. He was born in 1741 and died in 1822.

Alicia Cockburn
Alicia Cockburn was a Scottish poet. She was born in 1713 and died in 1794.

Alighieri Dante
Alighieri Dante was an Italian poet. He was born in 1265 at
Florence and died in 1321.

Allan Cunningham
Allan Cunningham was a Scottish poet. He was born in 1785 and died in 1842. He wrote a number of songs.

Allan Dias
Allan Dias is
bass player with Public Image Ltd

Aloys Senefelder
Aloys Senefelder was a
German inventor.

Alphonse Daudet
Alphonse Daudet was a
French novelist. He was born in 1840 at Nimes and died in 1897.

Alphwuld
Alphwuld was
king of the East Angles in 746.

Alred
Alred was
king of Northumberland in 765. He was deposed.

Alric
Alric was a son of
Wihtred and king of the Heptarchy in 760.

Amalekites
The Amalekites were descendants of Amalek, grandson of Esau, brother of Jacob, who attacked the Israelites in 1491
BC when perpetual war was denounced against them. They were subdued by Saul about 1079 BC, by David in 1058 BC and 1056 BC and by the Simeonites about 715 BC.

Amati
The Amatis were a family of celebrated
violin makers of Cremona in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Modigliani was an Italian painter. He was born in 1884 at Leghorn and died in 1920.

Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer. He was born in 1454 and died in 1512. He discovered the
Amazon River in 1499. The continent of America was named after him.

Anacreon
Anacreon was a
Greek lyric poet. He was born in 569 BC and died in 475 BC

Anatole France
Anatole France was a
French author. He was born in 1844 and died in 1924. He won the Nobel prize for literature in 1921.

Anaxagoras
Anaxagoras was an Ionian philosopher. He went to
Athens in 464 BC and inspired Pericles and Euripides with his love of science. He was born in 488 BC and died in 428 BC.

Anders Celsius
Anders Celsius was a Swedish astronomer. He was born in 1701 and died in 1744. He invented the centigrade scale for measuring temperature.

Anders Zorn
Anders Leonhard Zorn was a Swedish artist. He was born in 1860, dying in 1920.

Andre Gide
Andre Paul Guillaume Gide was a
French writer. He was born in 1869 and died in 1951.

Andrea Amati
Andrea Amati was the founder of the
Amati violin making business. He was born in 1540 and died in 1600.

Andrea Del Sarto
Andrea Del Sarto was a Florentine artist born in 1487, he died in 1531. He was a pupil of
Piero di Cosimo and influenced by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Andrea Del Verrocchio
Andrea del Verrocchio was an Italian sculptor, painter, silversmith and engineer. He was born in 1435 in
Florence and died in 1488. He was a teacher of Leonardo da Vinci.

Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna was an Italian painter and engraver. He was born in 1431 and died in 1506.

Andreas Vesalius
Andreas Vesalius was a Belgian physician and founder of the science of
anatomy. He was born in 1514 and died in 1564. He wrote ''On the Fabric of The Human Body''.

Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He was born at
Dunfermline in 1835 and died in 1919.

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher was an Australian politician. He was born in 1862 and died in 1928. He emigrated from
Scotland and in 1893 entered the Queensland Parliament and the Commonwealth Parliament in 1900, going on to be Prime Minister three times.

Andrew Marvell
Andrew Marvell was a poet. He was born in 1621, dying in 1678.

Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin Bevan was a British socialist politician. He was born in 1897, dying in 1960. He devised the national health service which came into operation in 1948.

Angelica Kauffman
Angelica Kauffman was a
Swiss painter. She was born in 1741 and died in 1807.

Angles
The Angles were a Teutonic race which invaded
Britain between the 5th and 7th centuries.

Aniello Falcone
Aniello Falcone was an Italian painter of the Neapolitan school, renowned as a painter of battle scenes. He was born in 1600 and died in 1665.

Anna
Anna was
king of the East Angles in 635.

Anne
Anne was Queen of
England from 1702 to 1714. She was born in 1665 and died in 1714. She was a daughter of James II.

Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn (
Anne Bullen) was the second wife of Henry VIII. She was born in 1507 and died in 1536. She was an arrogant, flirty and voluptious woman, and the King, disapointed at her bearing him a daughter, rather than a son got tired of her and had her imprisoned in the Tower Of London on charges of immorality and subsequently beheaded on May 19th 1536 at Tower Green.

Anne Bullen
see "
Anne Boleyn"

Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway was reputedly the wife of Shakespeare. She was born in 1556 and died in 1623.

Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was the fourth wife of
Henry VIII. She was born in 1515 the daughter of William, Duke of Juliers, leader of the German Protestants, and she died in 1557. She married Henry VIII in January 1540, however, Henry VIII finding her unattractive and regretting the German alliance had the marriage declared null in the following July.

Anselm Feuerbach
Anselm Feuerbach was a
German painter. He was born in 1829 and died in 1880. He worked at Paris under a pupil of Ingres, and later in Italy.

Anthony Cooper
Anthony Ashley Cooper was an English philanthropist. He was born in 1801 and died in 1885.

Anthony Fokker
Anthony Fokker was a Dutch airman and aeronautical engineer. He was born in 1860, dying in 1939.

Anthony Leeuwenhoek
Antony Van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch scientist. He was born in 1632 and died in 1723. He was the first person to see and describe
bacteria which he did using a self-made microscope.

Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope was an
English novelist. He was born in 1815 and died in 1852. He started life as a post-office clerk in 1834. His works include Barchester Towers, published in 1857.

Anthony Wedgwood Benn
Anthony Wedgwood Benn is a British labour
MP. He was born in 1925. He is son of the 1st viscount of Stansgate. He was the 1st person to disclaim his title under the Peerage Act.

Antoine Lavoisier
Antoine Laurent Lavoisier was a French scientist. He was born in 1743 at Paris and died in 1794. He proved the modern theory of combustion.

Antoine Watteau
Antoine Watteau was a
French painter and engraver. He was born in 1684 at Valenciennes and died in 1721.

Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian writer born at Taganrog in 1860. He died in 1904.

Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigorovich Rubinstein was a Russian composer and pianist. He was born in 1829, dying in 1894. He became a music teacher in Petrograd in 1848 where he founded the Russian Musical Society in 1861 and the Conservatoire in 1862.

Antonin Dvorak
Antonin Dvorak was a Czech composer. He was born in 1841 and died in 1904.

Antonio Allegri
see "
Correggio"

Antonio Canaletto
Antonio Canaletto was an Italian painter. He was born at
Venice in 1697 and died in 1768. He painted scenes.

Antonio Correggio
Antonio Allegri da Correggio was an Italian painter. He was born in 1494 at Correggio. He died in 1534. He painted the ecce homo.

Antonio Diabelli
Antonio Diabelli was an Austrian composer. He was born in 1781 near
Salzburg and died in 1858.

Antonio Pollaiuolo
Antonio Pollaiuolo was an Italian
goldsmith, sculptor and painter. He was born in 1429 and died in 1498.

Antonio Rosmini-Serbati
Antonio Rosmini-Serbati was an Italian philosopher. He was born at Rovereto in 1797 and died in 1855. He founded the Rosminians.

Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari was an Italian maker of violins. He was born at
Cremona in 1644, dying in 1737. His violins are the finest ever made.

Apache
The apache are a tribe of Indians that live in
Arizona.

Arab
see "
Arabs"

Arabs
The Arabs are a Semitic race of people who originally inhabited
Saudi Arabia and the neighbouring countries.

Aram Khachaturyan
Aram Khachaturyan is a
Soviet composer. He was born in 1904 at Tiflis.

Arawaks
The Arawaks are a South American indian tribe still found in
Guyana.

Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian composer. He was born in 1653, dying in 1713.

Archibald Alison
Archibald Alison was a Scottish theologian and writer on aesthetics. He was born in 1757 in
Edinburgh and died in 1839.

Archibald Bower
Archibald Bower was a Scottish writer. He was born in 1686 and died in 1766. He wrote ''A History of The Popes'' which was remarkable for its zeal against the Popery.

Archibald Forbes
Archibald Forbes was a was correspondent. He was born in 1838 and died in 1900. He was present at the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the Spanish Carlist War, the Russo-Turkish, the
Afghanistan and Zululand campaigns. He published his memoirs and adventures in many books.

Archibald Wavell
Archibald Percival Wavell was a British soldier. He was born in 1883 at Colchester and died in 1950. From 1943 until 1947 he was Viceroy of India.

Archimedes
Archimedes was a great ancient
Greek mathematician.

Arecunas
The Arecunas are a South American indian tribe still found in
Guyana.

Aristotle
Aristotle was an ancient
Greek philosopher.

Armagnacs
The Armagnacs were a Frebch political party, followers of the
duke of Orleans. Some 3500 members of the party were massacred at Paris in June 1418 by their opponents, the followers of the duke of Burgundy.

Armand Richelieu
Armand Duplessis Richelieu was a
French churchman and statesman. He was born in 1585 in Paris and died in 1642. In 1624 he became minister of state to Louis XIII and dominated the weak King, ruling France himself.

Arminius Vambery
Arminius Vambery was a Hungarian traveller and Orientalist. He was born in 1832 and died in 1913. He travelled through
Armenia and Persia between 1861 and 1864 and was the Professor of Oriental languages at the University of Budapest until 1905.

Arnold Bennett
Arnold Bennett was a British novelist. He was born at Hanley in
Staffordshire in 1867, and died in 1931.

Arnold Schonberg
Arnold Schonberg was an Austrian composer. He was born in 1874 and died in 1951.

Arnold Toynbee
Arnold Toynbee was an
English social reformer. He was born in 1852 and died in 1883. He is remembered for his attempts to ameliorate the conditions of the poor, especially of Whitechapel in East London where Toynbee Hall was erected in his memory.

Arthur
King Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon and ruled Britain around the 5th century.

Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller is an American playwright. He was born in 1915. He wrote Death of a Salesman.

Arthur Rimbaud
Arthur Rimbaud was a Belgian poet. He was born in 1854 in the
Ardennes and died in 1891.

Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer was a
German philosopher. He was born in 1788 at Danzig and died in 1860.

Arthur Walkley
Arthur Bingham Walkley was an
English author and journalist. He was born in 1855 and died in 1926. He was dramatic critic at the Times until 1819 when he retired.

Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian musician. He was born in 1867 and died in 1957.

Asoka
Asoka was an Indian
emperor and upholder of Buddhism. He was born in 269 BC and died in 232 BC.

Asser
Asser was a
Welsh monk who lived during the 9th century and is credited with writing about the life of King Alfred.

Athelstan
Athelstan succeeded
Edward as King of England from 924 to 940.

Attila
Attila was
King of the Huns. He was born in 406, dying in 453.

Aubrey Beardsley
Aubrey Vincent Beardsley was a black-and-white decorative artist. He was born in 1872 and died in 1898.

August Strindberg
August Strindberg was a Swedish writer. He was born in 1849 and died in 1912.

Auguste Piccard
Auguste Piccard was a Belgian scientist. He was born in 1884 at Lutry and died in 1962.

Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin was a
French impressionist sculptor. He was born in 1840 and died in 1917.

Augustus Pugin
Augustus
Welby Pugin was an English architect. He was born in 1812 in London and died in 1852.

Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb was a Mogul
emperor of India. He was born in 1618 and died in 1707.

Aztec
The Aztecs were an American Indian tribe inhabiting
Mexico.

Baber
Baber was the founder of the Mogul dynasty which ruled northern
India for 300 years. He was born in 1483, dying in 1530.

Babi
The Babi are a Persian religious sect formed in 1843 by Bab Ed
Din.

Baden-Powell
Baden-Powell was a British soldier. He was born in 1857. He died in 1941. He was the founder of the scouting movement.

Baggara
The Baggara are a
Muslim Bedouin people of the Nile Basin.

Baker
A baker is a person who manufacturers bread.

Baldred
Baldred was
king of the Heptarchy in 805. He was killed by Egbert, king of Wessex in 823 who took over the kingdom of Heptarchy.

Banneret
A banneret is a dignity between
baron and knight, which was anciently conferred by the king under the royal standard on the field of battle.

Banshee
A banshee is a fairy who forewarns of death by wailing.

Bantu
The Bantu are a wide-spread race in south
Africa, which includes the Zulu, Matabele, Damaras and Mashonas. They were nicknamed Kaffirs (unbelievers) by Islamic traders to south Africa.

Barber
A barber is someone who shaves and cuts the hair of a client for business. In
England, a barber was formerly also a surgeon, and they were called Barber-Surgeons. A London company of barbers was formed in 1308. The union of barbers and surgeons was dissolved in 1540 by an act of Henry VIII fwhich stated that; ''No person using any shaving or barbery in fLondon shall occupy any surgery, letting of blood, or other matter, except fonly drawing of teeth.''

Bard
A bard was a Celtic poet.

Barnabites
The Barnabites were an order of
monks established in Milan about 1530 who were much engaged in instructing youth, relieving the sick and aged, and converting heretics.

Baron
Baron is the lowest rank in
English peerage, although it was once the only rank. Its original name was Vavasour which the Saxons changed to Thane and the Normans to Baron.

Baron Munchhausen
Baron Munchhausen was a
German soldier. He was born in 1720 and died in 1797. He is remembered for telling exaggerated tales about his adventures during the campaigns he served in. He is the feature of a book, The adventures of Baron Munchhausen written by Rudolph Raspe in 1785.

Baroness Orczy
Baroness Emmusca Orczy was a Hungarian born novelist. She was born in 1865 and died in 1947. She is remembered for writing The Scarlet
Pimpernel, which she wrote in 1905.

Baronet
Baronet is the first in rank among the gentry, and the only
knighthood that is hereditary. They were instituted by James I in 1611 as a result of the revellion in Ulster, it being required of a baronet on his creation, to pay into the exchequer as much as would maintain ''thirty soldiers three years at eightpence a day in the province of Ulster in Ireland.'' It was also required that a baronet should be a gentleman born, and have a clear estate of 1000 pounds per annum.

Barry Pain
Barry Pain was an
English journalist and humours author. He was born in 1867 and died in 1928. He became editor of ''To-day'' in 1897. Thomas Pain was an English author and agitator. He was born in 1737 and died in 1809. He published ''Common Sense'' in 1776 which advocated American Independence.

Bartolome Murillo
Bartolome Esteban Murillo was a Spanish painter. He was born in 1617 at
Seville and died in 1682.

Bastarnae
The Bastarnae were a warlike tribe in Podolia and
Moldavia. They were hired by Perseus, king of Macedon, in his wars with Rome, 168 BC.

Batak
The Batak are a number of distinct but related peoples of northern
Sumatra in Indonesia.

Beaker People
The Beaker People were people of Iberian origin who spread out over
Europe in the 2nd millennium BC. They are believed to have built Stonehenge in England. They are called the Beaker People because their remains include earthenware beakers.

Beethoven
Beethoven was a
German composer.

Bela Bartok
Bela Bartok was a Hungarian composer. He was born in 1881, dying in 1945.

Bellman
see "
Bellmen"

Bellmen
Bellmen were appointed in
London to proclaim the hour of the night before public clocks became general, and were numerous around 1556. They were to ring a bell at night and cry, ''Take care of your fire and candle, be charitable to the poor, and pray for the dead.''

Bemba
The Bemba are an
African people of northern Zambia.

Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson was a British poet and dramatist. He was born in 1573 and died in 1637. He wrote ''Song to
Celia''.

Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini was an Italian dictator. He was born in 1883 at Predappio and died in 1945 when he was executed by Italian Partisans. He founded the fascist movement in 1919 and sided with Hitler during the Second World War.

Benjamin Disraeli
Benjamin Disraeli was a British statesman and writer. He was born in 1804, dying in 1881.

Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was an American statesman and scientist. He was born in 1706 at
Boston and died in 1790.

Benjamin Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was a rival poet and dramatist to Shakespeare. He was born in 1572 and died in 1637.

Benjamin Rumford
Benjamin Thompson Rumford was an Anglo-American scientist. He was born in 1753 in Massachusetts and died in 1814.

Benjamin Waugh
Benjamin Waugh was an
English social reformer. He was born at Settle in Yorkshire in 1839 and died in 1908. He founded the London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini was a Florentine
goldsmith and sculptor. He was born in 1500 and died in 1571.

Beorna
Beorna was
king of the East Angles in 749, reigning jointy with Ethelred and then solely in 758.

Beornred
Beornred was
king of Mercia in 755. He was slain.

Beornwulf
Beornwulf was
king of Mercia in 821. He was killed by his own subjects.

Berber
The Berbers are a race of people in north
Africa.

Bernard Palissy
Bernard Palissy was a
French potter and glass painter. He discovered how to manufacture enamel. He was born in 1510 and died in 1589.

Bernard Vaughan
Bernard Vaughan was a
Roman Catholic clergyman. He was born in 1847 and died in 1922. He was for eighteen years a distinguished worker in the religious and civic life of Manchester before transferring to London in 1901 where he continued his work.

Berthulf
Berthulf was
king of Mercia in 838.

Bertrand Russel
Bertrand Arthur William Russel was a British philosopher and mathematician. He was born in 1872 in Trelleck and died in 1970.

Bertric
Bertric was
king of the West Saxons in 784. he died after being posioned by a cup his queen had prepared for another.

Betty Perske
see "
Lauren Bacall"

Bizet
Bizet was a
French composer born in Paris in 1838. He died in 1875.

Black Baron
Black Baron was the alias of one
Christopher Pile, an English man, who in the mid-1990's wrote a series of computer viruses employing an advanced polymorphic technique he called ''SMEG''. In all three variants of SMEG were developed and distributed; Pathogen, Queeg and Smeg 3.

Blackfeet
The Blackfeet are a north American Indian tribe.

Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal was a
French mathematician.

Blondel
Blondel was a
French minstrel and poet of the 12th century. He is a legendary character, tales about him being recorded in ''Chronicles of Rheims''. One story tells how his master was taken prisoner, and Blondel trying to find him walked all Palestine and Germany singing his master's favourite song until at last the song was taken up and answered by the imprisoned master.

Bloody Mary
see "
Mary I"

Blue-stocking
A Blue-stocking was a literary lady. The term was applied around the time of Dr
Johnson when ladies would hold conversation with distinguished literary men. One of the men, Benjamin Stillingfleet, always wore blue stockings and his conversation was so prized at the meetings that in his absence the ladies would remark, ''we can do nothing without the blue-stockings'', and hence the meetings became known as blue-stocking clubs, and the ladies who attended them as blue-stockings.

Boers
The Boers were early Dutch colonists in
South Africa.

Bogos
The Bogos are a Hamitic people of Northern
Syria.

Boiars
The Boiars were an order of the
Russian aristocracy next in rank to the ruling Princes. The order was abolished by Peter the Great.

Boii
The Boii were a Celtic people of northern
Italy who were subdued by Scipio Nasica in 191 BC.

Bonzes
Bonzes was the name used by Europeans for Buddhist priests around 1900.

Booker Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American Negro Educationist. He was born in 1858 and died in 1915. The son of a mulatto slave woman and a white man he became the principal of a school in
Tuskegee, Alabama and acquired a reputation as an eloquent speaker. In 1892 he founded the Tuskegee Conference and organised the National Negro Business League in 1900. He wrote several books including an autobiography.

Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker was an
Irish author. He was born in 1847, dying in 1912. He wrote the novel Dracula.

Bretwalda
A Bretwalda was one of the kings of the
Saxon heptarchy, chosen by the others as a leader in a war against their common enemies.

Briton Riviere
Briton Riviere was a British painter of
animals. He was born in 1840 and died in 1920.

Bromius
Bromius was another name for
Dionysus.

Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was the stage name of
Lee Yuen Kam, a Chinese actor and expert in Kung Fu who popularised the martial arts in the west.

Bruce Smith
Bruce Smith is drum player with the rock group Public Image Ltd.

Buffalo Bill
see "
William Cody"

Buonarroti Michelangelo
Buonarroti Michelangelo was an Italian painter. He was born in 1475 at Caprese and died in 1564. He painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Burhred
Burhred was
king of Mercia in 852.

Bushman
The Bushman are an aboriginal people living in south
Africa.

Bushranger
Bushrangers were Australian highwaymen, formerly escaped convicts.

Caedwallo
Caedwallo was
king of the West Saxons in 685. He went to Rome to expiate his deeds of blood and died there.

Caewlin
Caewlin was a son of
Cynric and king of the West Saxons in 560. He died in 593.

Caligula
Caligula was a
Roman Emperor, alleged to be mad he was assassinated by a guard.

Caliph
Caliph is the title of the civic and religious leader of Islam.

Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge was the 30th President of the
USA. He was born in 1872 and died in 1933. As President, Coolidge opposed tariff revision and abstention from the League of Nations. He retired in 1929.

Canute
King Canute was a Viking King who ruled England from 1016 to 1035. He is buried at Winchester.

Canute II
see "
Hardicanute"

Canute III
Canute III was a son of
Hardicanute, the king of England, and king of Denmark in 1035.

Canute IV
Canute IV was
king of Denmark in 1080.

Canute the Pious
see "
Canute VI"

Canute V
Canute V was
king of Denmark in 1147, until a civil war in 1157.

Canute VI
Canute VI (
Canute the Pious) was king of Denmark in 1182.

Capetians
The Capetians were the third race of the kings of
France, named from Hugo Capet, count of Paris and Orleans, who seized the throne on the death of Louis V, called the indolent, in 987.

Captain
Captain is a rank in the armed services.

Captain Alfred Dreyfus
Captain Alfred Dreyfus was a French officer falsely accused of espionage. He was born in 1859 and died in 1935.

Captain James Cook
Captain James Cook was an English sailor and explorer. In 1768 he sailed around the world. He discovered Easter island in 1772.

Cardinal Ercole Consalvi
Cardinal Ercole Consalvi was an Italian Cardinal who conducted many negotiations between the Papacy and Revolutionary
France. He was born in 1757 and died in 1824. He negotiated the Concordat with Napoleon in 1801. He was later dismissed and exiled under pressure from Napoleon, but resumed his position after the Battle of Waterloo.

Carel Fabritius
Carel Fabritius was a Dutch painter. He was born in 1614 and died in 1654 when he was killed in an explosion at Delft. He was a pupil of
Rembrandt.

Carib
The Caribs are a South American indian tribe still found in
Guyana.

Carl Gustav Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a
Swiss scientist. He was born at Basle in 1875. He died in 1961. He is famous for developing a school of analytical psychology.

Carl Rosa
Carl August Nicholas Rosa was an operatic impresario. He was born in
Hamburg in 1843 and died in 1889.

Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American poet. He was born in 1878 at
Galesburg and died in 1969.

Carl Scheele
Carl Wilhelm Scheele was a Swedish chemist. He was born in 1742, dying in 1786. He discovered oxygen as did Priestly.

Carl Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer. He was born in 1786 near Lubeck and died in 1826.

Carlo Goldoni
Carlo Goldoni was an Italian dramatist. He was born in 1707 at
Venice and died in 1793 at Paris.

Carloman II
Carloman II was
joint ruler of France together with Louis III in 879.

Carmen Sylva
Carmen Sylva was the pen name of Queen
Elizabeth of Romania.

Carthusians
The Carthusians were a religious order instituted by Saint Bruno in 1084.

Cassivellaunus
Cassivellaunus was a British
King who offered a valiant defence to Julius Caesar during his second invasion of 54 BC. However, he was forced to capitulate and promised to pay tribute to Caesar.

Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of
Henry VIII. She was born in 1485 and died in 1536. She married Arthur, Prince of Wales when she was 16, and following his death she married his brother, Henry VIII whom she bore six children, of which only Mary I survived.

Cecil Day Lewis
Cecil Day Lewis was an English poet and critic. He was born in 1904, dying in 1972. He was professor of poetry at oxford university. He became the poet laureate in 1968.

Cecil Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes was a South African statesman. He was born in 1853 at Bishop's Stortford and died in 1902.

Celts
The Celts were tribes which came to
Britain from central Europe in the late Bronze age and again in the Iron Age.

Cenred
Cenred was
king of Mercia in 704 until he became a monk at Rome.

Cenric
Cenric was
king of Northumberland in 716.

Centurion
A centurion was an officer in the
Roman army commanding 100 men.

Centwine
Centwine was
king of the West Saxons in 676. He ruled jointly with Escwine when Escwine was on his death bed.

Cenulph
Cenulph was
king of Mercia in 794.

Cenwal
Cenwal was
king of the West Saxons in 643.

Ceolred
Ceolred was
king of Mercia in 709.

Ceolric
Ceolric was a nephew of
Caewlin and king of the West Saxons in 591.

Ceolwulf
Ceolwulf was
king of the West Saxons in 597.
Ceolwulf was king of Northumberland in 729. He died a monk.
Ceolwulf was king of Mercia in 819.

Ceolwulph
Ceolwulph was
king of Mercia in 874 until he was deposed by the Danes in 877 and the kingdom then merged into the rest of Britain.

Ceorl
Ceorl was
king of Mercia in 615.

Cerdic
Cerdic was
king of the West Saxons in 519.

Cesar Franck
Cesar Auguste Franck was a
French composer. He was born in 1822 at Liege and died in 1890. He wrote one symphony and organ music.

Chancellor
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is a cabinet minister who looks after the nation's money. It is the oldest office in the British Government, dating back to the days of
Henry I when the Chancellor sat at a table covered with a chequered cloth and received taxes collected by the sheriffs.

Charlemagne
Charlemagne (
Charles the Great) was king of France. He was born in 742 and died in 814. He extended the French empire into Italy.

Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage was a British mathematician. He designed an analytical engine which was the forerunner of the modern
computer. He was born in 1801 and died in 1871.

Charles Best
Charles Herbert Best was a Canadian physiologist. He was born in 1899, dying in 1978. With Banting he discovered the use of insulin in treating diabetes.

Charles Conder
Charles Conder was an
English painter best known for his designs for fans. He was born in 1868 and died in 1909.

Charles Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis was the first marquess of Cornwallis. He was born in 1738, dying in 1805. He commanded the British forces which surrendered to the Americans at
Yorktown in 1781 and ended the American war of independence.

Charles Coulomb
Charles Coulomb was a
French physicist. He was born in 1736 and died in 1806. He studied the distribution of electrical charges. The unit of electrical charge, the coulomb, is named after him.

Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin was an
English naturalist. He was born in Shrewsbury in 1809, dying in 1882. He published his theory of evolution in a book entitled the origin of species in 1859.

Charles De Gaulle
Charles De Gaulle was a
French soldier and statesman. He was born in 1890 and died in 1969. During the Second World War he was leader of the Free French Forces. In 1944 he led the liberation forces that entered Paris, and defeating the Communists who had stayed in France and fought the Nazis, became head of the provisional government.

Charles de Secondat Montesquieu
Charles de Secondat Montesquieu was a
French philosopher. He was born in 1689 and died in 1755.

Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was a 19th century
English novelist whose powerful imagery brought to public attention the terrible conditions endured by the poor.

Charles Doughty
Charles Montagu Doughty was an English writer and explorer. He was born in 1843 and died in 1926. His most important travels were to Arabia, venturing from Damascus to Jeddah with Bedouins and pilgrims.

Charles Fourier
Charles Fourier was a
French socialist writer. He was born in 1772, dying in 1837.

Charles Gounod
Charles Francois Gounod was a French composer. He was born in 1818 at Paris and died in 1893.

Charles I
Charles I was
King of England from 1625 to 1649. He was born in 1600 and died in 1649.

Charles II
Charles II was
King of England from 1660 to 1685.

Charles Jeanneret
see "
Le Corbusie"

Charles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley was an
English writer. He was born in 1819 at Holme and died in 1875. He wrote Westward Ho! and The Water Babies.

Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb was an
English poet. He was born in 1775 at London and died in 1834. He wrote essays under the name of Elia.

Charles Leconte de Lisle
Charles Marie Rene Leconte de Lisle was a French poet. He was born in 1818 and died in 1894.

Charles Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish nationalist politician. He was born in 1846 at Avondale and died in 1891.

Charles Reade
Charles Reade was a British novelist and dramatist. He was born in 1814 at Ipsden and died in 1884. He wrote The Cloister and the Hearth.

Charles Saint-Beuve
Charles Augustin Saint-Beuve was a French critic and guide to the Romantic movement. He was born in 1804 at Boulogne and died in 1869. He started a new school of criticism based upon the study of history and of all sources of information bearing on his subject.

Charles the Great
see "
Charlemagne"

Charles Voysey
Charles Voysey was the founder of the Theistic Church. He was born in 1828 at
London and died in 1912. He was ordained a clergyman of the Church of England, and deprived in 1871 as a consequence of certain publications which were judged to be heterodox.

Charles X
Charles X was
king of France. He was born in 1757 and died in 1836. He was deposed in 1830 and resided in Britain until 1832 when he moved to Hungary.

Charlotte Corday
Charlotte Corday was a
French revolutionary and the assassin of Marat. She was born in 1768 and died in 1793 when she was guillotined for the murder of Marat who she stabbed in his bath in July 1793, believing him to be a tyrant.

Cherokee
The Cherokee are a north American Indian tribe.

Chiang Kai-Shek
Chiang Kai-Shek was a Chinese political and military leader. He served with
Sun Yat-Sen during the 1911 revolution and later became leader of the nationalist government. He opposed the communists and fled to Taiwan in 1950.

Childeric
Childeric was
king of France in 458.

Chippewa
Chippewa is another name for the
Ojibway Indian tribe of North America.

Chris Stein
Chris Stein was
lead guitarist with the 70's punk rock band Blondie.

Christiaan Huygens
Christiaan Huygens was a Dutch scientist. He was born in 1629 and died in 1695. He invented the pendulum clock.

Christian I
Christian I was
king of Denmark in 1448, and elected king of Sweden in 1457.

Christian II
Christian II was a son of John and
king of Denmark in 1513. He caused all the Swedish nobility to be massacred and was dethroned in 1523 for his tyranny. He died in a dungeon in 1559.

Christian III
Christian III was
king of denmark and Norway in 1533.

Christian IV
Christian IV was
king of Denmark and Norway in 1588.

Christian IX
Christian IX was
king of Denmark in 1863.

Christian the Cruel
see "
Christian II"

Christian V
Christian V was
king of Denmark and Norway in 1670.

Christian VI
Christian VI was
king of Denmark and Norway in 1730.

Christian VII
Christian VII was
king of Denmark and Norway in 1766.

Christian VIII
Christian VIII was
king of Denmark in 1839.

Christoph Von Gluck
Christoph Willibald Von Gluck was a
German composer of operas. He was born in 1714 at Bavaria and died in 1787.

Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator. He was born in 1451 at
Genoa and died in 1506. Inspired by the adventures of Marco Polo, Columbus sought a westerly route to the East. He discovered Cuba, the West Indies and the South American mainland.

Christopher Fry
Christopher Fry is an
English dramatist. He was born in 1907.

Christopher I
Christopher I was
king of Denmark in 1252. He was poisoned.

Christopher II
Christopher II was
king of Denmark in 1320.

Christopher III
Christopher III was
king of Denmark and Sweden in 1440.

Christopher Isherwood
Christopher Isherwood is an Anglo-American novelist and playwright. He was born in 1904.

Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an
English dramatist. He was born in 1564 at Canterbury and died in 1593. He wrote ''Doctor Faustus''; ''The Jew of Malta''; ''Tamburlaine''.

Cimabue
Cimabue was an Italian painter. He was born in 1240 and died in 1302.

Cimbri
The Cimbri were a Teutonic race who first emerged in 113
BC when they defeated the Romans in Carinthia. They migrated to Gaul where they defeated the Roman consul in 109 BC and again in 105 BC at Orange. They invaded Spain and then with the assistance of other Teutonic tribes overran Gaul and attempted to invade Italy. They were defeated by the Romans at Aquae Sextiae in 102 BC and at Vercellae in 101 BC.

Cincinnatus
Cincinnatus was a
Roman dictator. He was born in 520 BC and died in 440 BC. He held power on two occasions. Once for 14 days and then again for 12 days. During his periods in power he freed Rome from her enemies, and then returned to his farm refusing all rewards.

Cino da Pistoia
Cino da Pistoia was an Italian poet and jurist. He was born in 1270 and died in 1336.

Ciro Ale'Gria
Ciro Ale'Gria was a Peruvian novelist. He was born in 1900 and died in 1967. He was imprisoned and fled to
Chile where he lived in exile.

Clan-na-Gael
Clan-na-Gael was an Irish-American secret society based in
Chicago which played a prominent part in the home rule agitation of the 1880s.

Claude Debussy
Claude Achille Debussy was a French composer. He was born in 1862, dying in 1918. He was leader of the French impressionist school in music.

Claude Gelee
see "
Claude Lorraine"

Claude Lorraine
Claude Lorraine was a
French landscape painter. He was born in 1600 at Lorraine and died in 1682. His real name was Claude Gelee. He lived most of his life in Rome.

Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a
French impressionist painter. He was born in 1840 and died in 1926.

Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi was an Italian composer. He was born in 1567 at
Cremona and died in 1643. He wrote a lot of church music.

Claudius Galen
Claudius Galen was an ancient medical writer. He was one of the founders of
anatomy and the founder of vivisection.

Claudius I
Claudius I was born in 10
BC at Lyons and died in 54. He became emperor following the assassination of Caligula. He was murdered by his wife Agrippina so that her son, Nero could be emperor.

Clearchus
Clearchus was a Spartan general in the 5th century
BC. His tyrannical rule of Byzantium resulted in his overthrow. He joined Cyrus' Persian army and assisted him against his brother. When Cyrus was killed at the battle of Cunaxa in 401 BC, Clearchus assumed command but was captured and killed by Artaxerxes.

Clement Burke
Clement Burke was premier drummer with the 70's punk band Blondie. He also provided backing vocals for many tracks.

Cleopatra
Cleopatra was a name of
Egyptian queens. Cleopatra VI was the last Queen of Egypt. She was born in 69 BC of Macedonian descent and became joint ruler with her brother, Ptolemy XIV in 52 BC. Exiled by her brother she retired to Syria and secured the aid of Julius Caesar. Ptolemy XIV was killed and Cleopatra was made Queen whereupon she returned to Rome with Caesar as his mistress. On Caesar's death in 44 BC Cleopatra returned to Egypt and declared Caesarion, her son by Caesar, joint ruler. Mark Anthony now became her lover and put Caesarion to death. Cleopatra killed herself with the bite of an asp after failing to win favour with the new Roman Emperor Octavius and fearing capture.

Clerk of the Peace
A Clerk of the Peace is a
county lawyer who gives advice to the Justices of the Peace and keeps records of his county.

Clodion the Hairy
Clodion the Hairy was
king of the Salic Franks in 428.

Clovis
Clovis was
King of the Franks. He was born in 465 and died in 511. He defeated the Gallo-Romans near Soissons and the Alemanni near Cologne in 496.

Clovis the Great
Clovis the Great was king of France in 481, and the founder of the French monarchy.

Cockney
Cockney is a term which was originally applied to the inhabitants of any town, and implied their ignorance of farming and agriculture. During the 17th century its use became limited to the inhabitants of
London, and more recently to those born within the sound of the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow (Bow bells) in London. The cockney dialect is chiefly characterised by the substitution of f or v for th (eg brover for brother), of ah for ou (eg rahnd for round) and ou for o (nou for no) and also a tendency to nasalise many vowels. Other peculiarities are substituting a long i for a long a (eg lidy for lady) and oi for i (foin for fine) and the dropping or misplacement of the letter h ('e for he).

Cognate
In
Roman law, a cognate was a person related through male or female antecedents. In English and Scottish law, persons related on the mother's side only.

Cola di Rienzi
Cola di Rienzi was an Italian
patriot. He was born in Rome in 1313. He led a popular uprising in 1347, reigned for seven months and then had to flee. He was eventually murdered in 1354.

Colin
Colin was
King of Scotland from 967 to 971.

Colonel
In the British
Army, a Colonel is the commanding officer of a regiment, or an officer of similar rank on the general staff.

Commissar
A Commissar is an administrative official in
Russia. There are various ranks, the highest being in charge of a State department and corresponding to a British cabinet minister.

Common Serjeant
The Common Serjeant is an officer of the City of
London who aids the Recorder at the Central Criminal Court, acts as judge at the Mayor's Court and legal adviser and counsel to the City Corporation, and performs certain functions at the election of city officers. The post is a Crown nomination and ranks next to that of the Recorder.

Compere
A compere is a host or master of ceremonies at a stage revue or
television programme.

Conductor
In music, a conductor is a musician who directs the performance of a piece of music.

Conelius Tacitus
Conelius Tacitus was a
Roman historian. He was born in 55 and died in 120.

Confucius
Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu) was an ancient Chinese philosopher. He was born around 551
BC and died around 479 BC.

Conon
Conon was an Athenian general. He commanded the
fleet of 413 BC which was intended to prevent the Corinthians from relieving Syracuse during their war with Athens.

Conquistadores
Conquistadores was the name given to the Spanish conquerors of
South America, and in particular to their more important leaders.

Conrad I
Conrad I was
King of Germany in 911. He was killed in 918 while fighting the Hungarians.

Conrad II
Conrad II was
King of Germany from 1024 until 1039. He tried to reform the country, repressing some of the more unpleasant aspects of the feudal system.

Conrad III
Conrad III was
King of Germany from 1138 to 1152. He adopted the double headed eagle symbol which is still in use in Austria today.

Conrad IV
Conrad IV was a
German King. He was born in 1228 and died in 1254. He was King of the Romans in 1237 and Emperor in 1250. He opposed the Pope and opened war on the Archbishop of Mainz. After a campaign of dubious success he marched into Italy, where he died.

Consort
Consort is the term applied to the spouse of a reigning
sovereign.

Constans I
Constans I was ruler of
Italy, Africa and West Illyricum. He was born in 320 BC, the son of Constantine the Great (Constantine I), and died in 350.

Constans II
Constans II was a
Roman Emperor or the East. He was born in 630 and died in 668. His reign was disturbed by frequent and disastrous Arab and Lombard invasions, by which Africa and large parts of Italy and Greece were lost.

Constantine I
Constantine I was
King of Scotland from 863 to 877. Constantine The Great was a Roman emperor. He was born in 274, dying in 337. He was converted to Christianity and made it the state religion.

Constantine II
Constantine II was
King of Scotland from 900 to 943.

Constantine III
Constantine III was
King of Scotland from 995 to 997.

Constantius
Constantius was a
Roman Emperor. He was born in 250 and died in 306. He was successful as a military ruler of Dalmatia, and was appointed Caesar by the Emperor Maximian in 293. He died at York during a campaign against the Picts.

Consul
A consul is an official who looks after the trading interests of his country in foreign towns.

Contras
The contras are a right wing Nicaraguan
guerrilla force.

Cooper
A Cooper is a person whose
trade is cooperage (making barrels etc.).

Cornelia
Cornelia was the daughter of Publius Scipio Africanus, and the wife of Sempronius Gracchus whom she married in 169
BC. She was renowned for her pride in her sons who were reformers.

Cornelius Nepos
Cornelius Nepos was a
Roman historian. He was probably the author of Vitae excellentium imperatorum, and of the lives of Atticus and Cato.

Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt was an American capitalist. He was born in 1794 and died in 1877. The son of a small farmer he began in business at the age of sixteen by ferrying passengers and goods between
New York and Staten Island. He later became a successful boatbuilder and steamship owner and in 1863 engaged in railway ventures, in 1867 becomming President of the New York Central Railway.

Cornwell
see "
John Le Carre"

Coroner
A Coroner is a person who is appointed to enquire into the death of somebody who has died, or is thought to have died from unnatural causes.

Correggio
Correggio was the name taken by
Antonio Allegri from his birthplace near Modena. He was an Italian painter and was born in 1494 and died in 1534. His most important productions were the frescoes that he painted on the dome of the church of San Giovanni in Parma between 1521 and 1524.

Corsair
The Corsairs were mediaeval pirates, whose particular base was the north
coast of Africa, from which they plundered all Christian ships, especially the Spanish treasure ships from America.

Corybantes
The Corybantes were the
Greek priests of Cybele. They celebrated her festival with wild orgies, beating upon drums and cymbals.

Cossack
Originally the name Cossack was applied to any armed adventurer, later the name was applied to a certain section of the
Russian people of mixed Tartar, Polish and Russian origin. In the Middle Ages they formed a separate community and were employed because of their military prowess by the Polish and Russian kings.

Count Maeterlinck
Count
Maurice Maeterlinck was a Belgian writer and dramatist. He was born in 1862 at Ghent and died in 1949.

Covenanter
A Covenanter was a supporter of the Solemn
League and Covenant, an anti-Catholic movement signed by Scottish Presbyterians and English Puritans.

Coventry Patmore
Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore was an English poet. He was born in 1823 and died in 1896.

Creole
Creole describes persons not of an aboriginal race born in the West Indies, parts of
America, South America and other Spanish or French colonies. Creole does not imply mixed blood, but rather any person born in a place where his race is not indigenous.

Cretin
A cretin is someone who suffers from the disease
cretinism.

Crida
Crida was
king of Mercia in 586.

Crimp
A crimp was an agent for supplying seamen by
decoy or other illegal means to merchant ships. Often a crimp would be a lodging-house keeper in a seaport.

Croesus
Croesus was the last
King of Lydia. He reigned from 560 BC until 546 BC, conquered Ionia and became an ally of Sparta. Croesus joined with Nabonidus of Babylon to oppose Cyrus of Persia, but was overthrown by him at Sardis.

Crofter
A crofter is a peasant farmer of the
Highlands of Scotland. They share certain rights of common pasture while owning arable land individually. Their rights cam be traced back to an early clan system.

Crypto-Jews
Crypto-Jews (Marranos) were
Jews who outwardly accepted Christianity in the face of the Spanish Inquisition while remaining Jews at heart and observing in secret all the ritual of Judaism.

Culdees
The Culdees were a Celtic religious order known to have lived in
Ireland, Scotland and Wales between the 9th and 14th centuries, but little else is known of them.

Curate
A curate was originally a clergyman in charge of a
parish. (The term Curate means cure of souls). In England the title is given to a clergyman who assists the incumbent of a parish.

Custos Rotulorum
The Custos Rotulorum is the keeper of the records of an
English county and is usually a person of rank, they are appointed by the Crown.

Cuthred
Cuthred was a brother of
Ethelard and king of the West Saxons in 740.
Cuthred was king of the Heptarchy in 796.

Cwichelm
Cwichelm was
joint king of the West Saxons in 614.

Cymri
The Cymri were the great Celtic family of people to which the Britons belonged and which came from
Asia and occupied a large part of Europe about 1500 BC.

Cynegils
Cynegils was
king of the West Saxons in 611 and joint king of the West Saxons, reigning jointly with his son Cwihelm in 614.

Cynewulf
Cynewulf was a British poet. He lived during the 8th century and wrote ''Christ'' and ''Juliana''. Cynewulf was
king of the west Saxons in 755. A noble youth of the line of Cerdic he was murdered.

Cynric
Cynric (Kenric) was the son of
Cerdic and king of the West Saxons in 534.

Cyrus
Cyrus was a Persian
emperor. He was born in 559 BC, dying in 529 BC.

Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Persian
Empire. Head of a Persian tribe he overthrew the Median Empire and became King of the Persians around 555 BC. He was a wise and tolerant ruler who released the Jews from Babylon and allowed them to rebuild Jerusalem.

Czechs
The Czechs are the most westerly branch of the Slavic peoples. About 480 they migrated to
Bohemia and Moravia.