Tai
The Tai are the groups of south east Asian peoples who speak Tai languages, all of which
belong to the Sino-Tibetan language family. There are over 60 million speakers, the majority
of whom live in Thailand. Tai peoples are also found in south-west China, north west Myanmar (Burma),
Laos, and north Vietnam.
Talapoin
A talapoin is a Buddhist priest or monk.
Tamerlane
Tamerlane (Timur) was King of Samarkland. He was born in 1336 and died in 1405. He extended the Mongol empire through Persia, Georgia, Armenia and Russia.
Tamil
The Tamils are the majority ethnic group living in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Tamils retain a distinct culture. They possess an ancient literary tradition and have developed
their own court arts. The majority of Tamils are farmers, cultivating rice in irrigated fields. They
are also known for their handicrafts, including pottery.
Tamils
The Tamils are an indigenous people of southern India and Sri Lanka.
Tancred
Tancred was a hero of the first Crusade. He was born in 1078 of Marquis Odo the Good and Emma. He died in 1112 of a wound received at Antioch.
Tasaday
The Tasaday are an indigenous people of the rainforests of Mindanao in the Philippines.
Tatian
Tatian was a heresiarch of the 2nd century. He was born in Ethiopia around 120 and died around 172. He became a disciple of Justin, after whose martyrdom he left Rome and travelled the Middle East preaching. He taught abstinence from wine, meat and marriage and disbelieved the divinity of Christ.
Tauri
The Tauri were the earliest known inhabitants of the Crimea.
Tenessee Williams
Tenessee Williams (Thomas Lanier) is an American playwright. He was born in 1914. He wrote ''A Street Car Named Desire'' and ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof''.
Thales
Thales was a Greek philosopher. He was born in 636BC and died in 546 BC.
Thane
In English history, a thane was someone who was awarded land by the King or another superior as a reward for military service. Thanes ranked between ordinary freemen and hereditary nobles. Thane was the Saxon word for a Vavasour, and the Norman word for a Baron.
Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Gericault
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodoric
Theophile Delcasse
Theophile Gautier
Theophrastus
Thomas Bowdich
Thomas Carew
Thomas Chatterton
Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Coram
Thomas Coutts
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Day
Thomas De Quincey
Thomas de Torquemada
Thomas Dekker
Thomas Edison
Thomas Erastus
Thomas Faed
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Girtin
Thomas Gray
Thomas Heywood
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Huxley
Thomas Jackson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Kyd
Thomas Lanier
Thomas Lodge
Thomas Macaulay
Thomas Malthus
Thomas Mann
Thomas Masaryk
Thomas Middleton
Thomas Morley
Thomas Newcomen
Thomas Otway
Thomas Paine
Thomas Rowlandson
Thomas Sheraton
Thucydides
Thug
Thuringian
Tigro
Tintoretto
Titian
Titilus
Titus Vespasianus
Tlingit
Tobias Smollett
Toltec
Torquato Tasso
Tory
Trajan
Troglodyte
Trouveres
Tswana
Tuareg
Tuaregs
Tukano
Tunguses
Tuscarora
Tutankhamen
Tutsi
Twa
Uffa
Uigur
Ulema
Umpire
Ursula Southill
Ursulines
Uzbeg
Uzbek
Uzziah
Vaishnava
Vandals
Vasco da Gama
Vassili Verestchagin
Vauban
Vaughan Williams
Vavasour
Vedda
Veddahs
Vergil
Vespasian
Vicar
Vicente Barrantes
Viceroy
Victor Amadeus II
Victor Cousin
Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel III
Victor Hugo
Victoria
Victorien Sardou
Vidkun Quisling
Viking
Vikings
Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Villa
Villeneuve
Vincent Van Gogh
Vinova Bhave
Violet Vanbrugh
Virgil
Virginia Woolf
Viscount
Vivaldi
Vlachs
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Pachmann
Volsci
Voltaire
W. B. Yeats
W. T. Sherman
Wahabis
Wai-Wais
Waldemar II
Waldemar III
Waldemar the Great
Waldemar the Victorious
Waldenses
Walloon
Walt Disney
Walt Whitman
Walter Crane
Walter Landor
Walter Ouless
Walter Pater
Walter Sickert
Walter Skeat
Wapisiana
Warraus
Warren Hastings
Wassily Kandinsky
Wat Tyler
Whig
Wibba
Wihtred
Wilbur Wright
Wilhelm Ostwald
Wilhelm Wagner
Wilhem Messerschmitt
William Barents
William Beveridge
William Blackwood
William Blake
William Bligh
William Bowles
William Bowyer
William Caxton
William Clifford
William Cobett
William Cody
William Collins
William Congreve
William Cowper
William Dampier
William Duell
William Elphinstone
William Faulkner
William Gilbert
William Gladstone
William Godwin
William Harvey
William Heath Robinson
William Hogarth
William Hunt
William I
William James
William Janszoon
William Kelvin
William Langland
William Laud
William Morris
William Nuffield
William Paley
William Penn
William Pitt
William Pulteney
William Rossetti
William Shakespeare
William Somerset Maugham
William Tell
William Thackeray
William Tyndale
William Waddington
William Wallace
William Wilberforce
William Wordsworth
William II
William III
William IV
Withlafe
Wolfgang Mozart
Wolof
Wulfhere
Xenophanes
Xerxes
Xhosa
Yao
Yardy
Yi
Yorkist
Yoruba
Yuri Gagarin
Zapotec
Zoltan Kodaly
Theodore Dreiser was an American writer born in 1871. He died in 1945.
Theodore Gericault was a French painter. He was born in 1791 at Rouen and died in 1824. He introduced the idea of painting directly onto canvas.
Theodore Roosevelt was president of the USA. He was born in 1858, dying in 1919.
Theodoric was king of Bernicia in 580.
Theophile Delcasse was a French statesman. He was born in 1852 and died in 1923. As Foreign Minister he effected in 1904 the Franco-British Treaty regarding Morocco and Egypt, which so aroused German resentment that he was forced to resign.
Theophile Gautier was a French poet and novelist. He was born in 1811 at Tarbes and died in 1872.
Theophrastus of Lesbos was a Greek naturalist. He was born in 368BC and died in 284BC. He wrote A History of Plants.
Thomas Edward Bowdich was an African explorer. He was born in 1790 and died in 1824 of disease in the Gambia.
Thomas Carew was a British poet. He was born in 1595 and died in 1639.
Thomas Chatterton was an English poet. He was born in 1752 and died in 1770.
Thomas Chippendale was one of England's most famous furniture makers. He was born in 1718 in Yorkshire and died in 1779.
Thomas Clarkson was an English anti-slavery advocate. He was born in 1760 and died in 1846. He published a Latin essay on slavery in 1786 and organised a campaign for the abolition of slavery in Africa. In 1823 he assisted in founding the Anti-Slavery Society for the suppression of slavery in the West Indies.
Thomas Coram was a Dorset seaman. He was born in 1668 and died in 1751. He established the Foundling Hospital, which was chartered in 1739 and intended as a refuge for the numerous unwanted children of London. He spent all his money on charities, and towards the end of his life was reduced to poverty, when an annuity was raised for him by public subscription.
Thomas Coutts was a British banker. He was born in 1735 at Edinburgh and died in 1822. He founded the London banking house of Coutss and Co., becoming the sole partner on his brother's death in 1778. He acted as banker to George III.
Thomas Cranmer was archbishop of canterbury under Henry VIII. He was born in 1489, dying in 1556 when he was burnt at the stake for refusing to revert his religion under Mary.
Thomas Cromwell was Earl of Essex and an English administrator. He was born in 1485 and died in 1540. He was secretary and chief minister to Henry VIII and directed the divorce proceedings against Catherine of Aragon. He promoted the Act of Supremacy in 1534 to try to get absolute power for the King.
Thomas Day was an English author. He was born in 1748 and died in 1789. He wrote "The History of Sandford and Merton".
Thomas De Quincey was an English writer. He was born in 1785 and died in 1859.
Thomas de Torquemada was a Dominican monk and founder of the Spanish Inquisition. He was born in 1420 and died in 1498.
Thomas Dekker was an English dramatist and writer. He was born in 1570 and died in 1641. He wrote plays which provide a view of contemporary life in London.
Thomas Alva Edison was an American scientist. He was born in 1847 and died in 1931. He invented the carbon filiament electric lamp and the phonograph.
Thomas Erastus was a German-Swiss student of medicine and theology. He was born in 1524 and died in 1583. He was Professor of Medicine at Heidelberg, and he advicated the teaching of Zwingli as opposed to Calvin in 1560.
Thomas Faed was a Scottish painter. He was born in 1826 and died in 1900.
Thomas Gainsborough was an English painter. He was born in 1727 at Sudbury and died in 1788. He is remembered for his portraits and landscapes.
Thomas Girtin was an English watercolour artist. He was born in 1775 and died in 1802.
Thomas Gray was an English writer. He was born in 1716 at London and died in 1771.
Thomas Heywood was a British dramatist. He lived during the 17th century and wrote 'A Woman Killed with Kindness''.
Thomas Hobbes was a British philosopher. He was born in 1588 at Malmesbury and died in 1679. He wrote Leviathan which was the first British political philosophy book.
Thomas Henry Huxley was an English biologist. He was born in 1825 at Ealing and died in 1895. He was an outspoken supporter of Darwin.
Thomas Jonathan Jackson was an American Confederate general. He was born in 1824 and died in 1863. He was nicknamed ''stonewall''.
Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the USA. He was born in 1743 and died in 1826.
Thomas Kyd was a British dramatist. He was born in 1558 and died in 1594. He wrote ''The Spanish Tragedy''.
see "Tenessee William"
Thomas Lodge was a British poet. He was born in 1558 and died in 1625.
Thomas Babington Macaulay was a British historian and politician. He was born in 1800 at Leicestershire and died in 1859. He entered parliament in 1830. He became Secretary for War in 1839.
Thomas Robert Malthus was an English economist. He was born in 1766 near Guildford and died in 1834. He wrote The Essay on Population.
Thomas Mann was a German novelist. He was born in 1875 at Lubeck and died in 1955. He won the Nobel prize for literature in 1929.
Thomas Garrigue Masaryk was the founder and first President of Czechoslovakia. He was born in 1850 at Moravia and died in 1937.
Thomas Middleton was an English dramatist. He was born in 1570 and died in 1627. He is know for his realistic comedies and romantic plays.
Thomas Morley was an English composer of madrigals. He was born in 1557, dying in 1603.
Thomas Newcomen was an English engineer. He was born in 1663 at Dartmouth and died in 1729. He developed the steam engine.
Thomas Otway was an English dramatist. He was born in 1652 at Trotton in Sussex and died in 1685. He is renowned for his work ''Venice Preserved''.
Thomas Paine was an English writer on politics and religion. He was born in 1737 in Norfolk and died in 1809.
Thomas Rowlandson was an English caricaturist. He was born in 1756 and died in 1827.
Thomas Sheraton was the last of the great English cabinet-makers of the 18th century. He was born in 1751 and died in 1806. Sheraton continued the pursuit of lightness combined with strength which had been started by Hepplewhite. The influence of the Louis XVI period is seen in his general avoidance of curves. Sheraton also used carving very sparingly and was more partial to inlay.
Thucydides was an Athenian historian. He was born in 460BC and died in 399BC. He wrote a history of the Peloponnesian War.
The thugs were a Hindu sect who strangled their victims as sacrifices to Kali.
The Thuringian were an ancient tribe of central Germany. They were conquered by the Franks in the 6th century.
The Tigro are a people of north Ethiopia. The Tigro language is spoken by about 2.5 million people; it belongs
to the south east Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. Tigrinya is a closely related language
spoken slightly to the south.
Jacopo Robusti (Tintoretto) was an Italian painter. He was born in 1518 in venice and died in 1594.
Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) was an Italian painter. He was born in 1477 and died in 1576.
Titilus was king of the East Angles in 578.
see "Vespasian"
The Tlingit are a North American Indian people of the north west coast, living in south Alaska and north British
Columbia. They used to carve wooden poles representing their family crests, showing such
animals as the raven, whale, octopus, beaver, bear, wolf, and the mythical ''thunderbird''.
Their language is related to the Athabaskan languages.
Tobias Smollett was a British novelist. He was born in 1721 at Dalquhurne and died in 1771.
The Toltecs were a prehistoric people of Central America to whom the Aztecs and the Mayas ascribed all their arts and ancient monuments.
Torquato Tasso was an Italian poet. He was born in 1544 at Sorrento and died in 1595.
Originally, a Tory was an Irish outlaw and robber (from the Irish word meaning to pursue for the sake of plunder). The term was applied to the Royalist party at the time of the Popish Plot but had acquired a political significance as early as 1654 when it was applied by the principal of Glasgow University to the forces maintaining the cause of Charles II, as the political counterpart of Whig. Today the term is applied to the Conservatives in Britain with ironic accuracy to the original Irish meaning, many poorer Britains would say.
Trajan was a Roman emperor. He was born in 53 and died in 117. He became emperor in 98. He was a soldier, and fought many campaigns in Dacia, Armenia, Mesopotamia and Ctesiphon.
Troglodyte is a Greek term for a cave dweller, designating certain peoples in the ancient world. The
troglodytes of south Egypt and Ethiopia were a pastoral people.
The Trouveres were the court poets of north and central France in the Middle Ages. Their invariable theme was the trials undergone by a lover at the hands of his lady, who is already married to another.
The Tswana are the majority ethnic group living in Botswana. The Tswana are divided into four subgroups: the
Bakwena, the Bamangwato, the Bangwaketse, and the Batawana. Traditionally they are rural-
dwelling farmers, though many now leave their homes to work as migrant laborers in South
African industries. The Tswana language belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger-Congo
family.
The Tuareg are a nomadic Berber people of the west and central Sahara.
The Tukano are an indigenous South American Indian people of the Vaupos region on the
Colombian-Brazilian border, numbering approximately 2,000. An estimated 12,000 speak
languages related to Tukano. The other main Tukanoan groups are Bara, Barasana, Cubeo,
Desana, and Makuna.
The Tunguses are a Mongolo-Tata people of east Siberia. They live in small groups and are primarily fishers, hunters, trappers and shepherds.
The Tuscarora are a North American indian tribe. They originated from North Carolina and are now a member of the Iroquois confederacy.
Tutankhamen (Tutenkhamon) was an Egyptian Pharaoh around 1400BC. He reigned for around 6 years and died at the age of 18. His tomb was excavated in 1922 by Howard Carter and found to be intact and containing a large store of domestic furniture and objets d'art.
The Tutsi are the minority ethnic group living in Rwanda and Burundi.
They are traditionally farmers.
The Twa are an ethnic group comprising 1% of the populations of Burundi and Rwanda. The
Twa are the aboriginal inhabitants of the region. They are a pygmoid people, and live as
nomadic hunter-gatherers in the forests.
Uffa was the first king of the East Angles. He reigned in 571.
The Uigur are a Turkic people living in north west China and Kazakhstan; they form about 80% of the population of the Chinese province of Xinjiang Uygur. There are about 5 million speakers of
Uigur, a language belonging to the Turkic branch of the Altaic family; it is the official language of the province.
The Ulema were a general body of learned men in Muslim countries. They interpreted the Koran and consequently the law. From their numbers were chosen the principal officers until their suppression in 1926.
An umpire is someone to whose sole decision a matter in dispute between two parties is refered.
see "Mother Shipton"
The Ursulines are a female monastic order which was formed in 1535 with the purpose of educating girls and tending for the sick and needy. It was declared a religious order under the rule of Saint Augustine.
The Uzbegs are a Turki people of Uigur stock who migrated from Kashgaria to west Turkestan in the 14th century.
The Uzbek are a town-dwelling Turkic people of Turkestan and Uzbekistan.
Uzziah was King of Judah. He was born in 789 BC and died in 737 BC. He was the son of Amaziah. He became king at the age of sixteen and was a vigorous and able monarch who encouraged agriculture, equipped an army, fortified Jerusalem and conducted campaigns against the Philistines, Arabs and Amonites. He eventually died of leprosy.
The Vaishnava are a Bhakti sect devoted to Vishnu.
The Vandals were a war-like Germanic tribe who between the 5th and 6th centuries invaded Gaul, Spain and North Africa. In 455 they sacked Rome. They were renowned for wantonly destroying art treasures and books.
Vasco Da Gama was a Portugese explorer. He discovered the sea-route from Europe to India.
Vassili Verestchagin was a Russian painter. He was born in 1842 and died in 1904. He studied under Geromes in Paris. He served in the wars with Turkey in 1877 and Japan in 1904. His paintings are on military subjects.
see "Sebastien Le Prestre De Vauban"
Ralph Vaughan Williams was an English composer. He was born in 1872 at Down Ampney and died in 1958.
Vavasour was the original English name for what is now called a baron.
The Vedda are the aboriginal peoples of Sri Lanka, who occupied the island before the arrival of the Aryans about 550 BC. Formerly cave-dwelling hunter-gatherers, they have now almost
died out or merged with the rest of the population. They speak a Sinhalese language, belonging to the Indo-European family.
They live mainly in the central highlands, and many practise shifting cultivation.
The Veddahs are a tribe of Sri Lanka, the last remaining remnants of the aboriginal people of Sri Lanka.
Publius Vergilius Maro (Vergil) was a Roman poet. He was born in 70BC near Mantua and died in 19BC.
Vespasian (Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus) was a Roman emperor. He was born in 9 and died in 79. He commanded a legion in Britain and subdued the Isle of Wight between 43 and 44. In 63 he became governor of Africa and in 66 governor of Judaea. In 69 he was proclaimed emperor at Alexandria. During his reign he continued the conquest of Britain, restored peace to Rome, supressed the Batavians, Gauls and Jews and restored the finances of the state. He found money for monumental building works in Rome including the start of the Colosseum.
A vicar is a church of England priest.
Vicente Barrantes was a Spanish publicist and author. He was born in 1829 and died in 1898.
A viceroy is someone who acts as governor of a country or province by authority of the ruler.
Victor Amadeus II was Duke of Savoy and the first King of Sardinia. He was born in 1666 and died in 1732.
Victor Cousin was a French educationalist and philosopher. He was born in 1792, dying in 1867. He founded the eclectic school.
Victor Emmanuel II was King of Sardinia and of Italy. He was born in 1820 and died in 1878. Through his diplomacy he united Italy and was in 1871 crowned the first king of a united Italy.
Victor Emmanuel III was King of Italy. He was born in 1869 and succeeded to the throne on the assassination of his father, Humbert I, in 1900.
Victor Marie Hugo was a French poet and novelist. He was born in 1802 at Besancon and died in 1885. His first poems were published in 1822.
Victoria was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India. She was born in 1819 and died in 1901. She succeeded to the throne in 1837 at the age of 18 and reigned until her death in 1901.
Victorien Sardou was a French dramatist. He was born in 1831, dying in 1908.
Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian traitor and puppet minister. He was born in 1887 and died in 1945 when he was executed following the liberation of Norway.
The Vikings (creek-dwellers) were generally the inhabitants of Scandinavia, and more particularly those of Norway between the 8th and 11th centuries.
The Vikings were the inhabitants of Scandinavia, and more particularly Norway from about the 8th to the 11th century. They were also called Norsemen, and Danes. They were great explorers and set up colonies in Ireland, France, and England as well as reaching Iceland, Greenland and Nova Scotia. In 912 they were granted the duchy of Normandy, and these Vikings became known as Normans.
Vilhjalmur Stefansson was an Arctic explorer. He was born in 1879 in Manitoba of Icelandic parents and studied theology and anthropology at Harvard.
Francisco Villa was a Mexican revolutionary leader. He was born in 1877 and died in 1923 when he was assassinated.
see "Pierre De Villeneuve"
Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch painter. He was born in 1853 at Brabant and died in 1890 after shooting himself.
Vinova Bhave is an Indian reformer and leader of the sarvodaya movement. He was born in 1895. He was a follower of Ghandi and campaigned for help for landless peasants.
Violet Vanbrugh was an English actress. She was born in 1867. She toured in America with the Kendals and was associated with Henry Irving and Daly. In 1894 she married Arthur Bourchier and divorced in 1918.
Publius Vergilius Maro Virgil was a Roman poet. He was born in 70 BC near Mantua and died in 19 BC. He studied philosophy under the Epicurean Siron at Rome and became one of Maecena's friends.
Virginia Woolf was an English novelist. She was born in 1882 and died in 1941.
A Viscount was a sheriff who acted as deputy for the count or lord-lieutenant of a county. The title was first bestowed upon John Beaumont in 1440 by Henry VI. The term later developed into a rank of nobility between earl and baron. In Jersey a Viscount is an officer of the crown similar to an English coroner.
Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian composer. He was born in 1680 and died in 1743.
The Vlachs are a group of Romanian peoples living mainly in the region of the lower Danube.
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian revolutionary. He was born in 1870 at Simbirsk and died in 1924.
Vladimir Nabokov is a Russian-born American author. He was born in 1899. He wrote Lolita.
Vladimir Pachmann was a Russian pianist and interpreter of Chopin. He was born in 1848.
The Volsci were a people living in Italy during the period of the Roman Republic. They dwelt in the southern part of Latium and were the most persistent foes of the early Republic.
Voltaire was a French writer. He was born in 1694 in Paris and died in 1778.
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and dramatist. He was born in 1865 in Dublin and died in 1939.
W. T. Sherman was an American soldier of the American civil war. An American tank of the second world war was named after him.
The Wahabis were a Muslim sect founded in the middle of the 18th century in Nejd Arabia by Mohammed Abdul Wahab, who attempted to restore the primitive simplicity of Islam and established a militant church at issue both with the infidel and with other forms of Islam. In 1818 the temporal power of the Wahabis in Arabia was crushed.
The Wai-Wais are a South American indian tribe still found in Guyana.
Waldemar II (Waldemar the Victorious) was king of Denmark in 1202.
Waldemar III was king of Denmark in 1340.
Waldemar the Great was king of Denmark in 1157.
see "Waldemar II"
The Waldenses were a religious community founded by Peter Waldo in 1170 when he renounced his possessions and wandered as a preacher of voluntary poverty. The group established themselves in the valleys of the Cottian Alps and denounced the authority of the Church of Rome. As a result they were persecuted by the Duchess of Savoy in 1475 who ordered a war of extermination against them. In 1487 the Pope announced a Crusade against them. In 1686 the Duke of Savoy exiled to Geneva those he failed to forcibly convert. Three years later a small band returned and in 1848 were granted full religious and political rights.
The Walloon are a French-speaking people of south-east Belgium and adjacent areas of France. The name Walloon is etymologically linked to Welsh.
Walt Disney was an American artist and film producer. He was born in 1901 and died in 1967. He is best remembered for his animations. His first successful animated film was Mickey Mouse which was released in 1928.
Walt Whitman was an American poet. He was born in 1819 at Long Island and died in 1892.
Walter Crane was an English painter and decorative artist. He was born in 1845 at Liverpool and died in 1915.
Walter Savage Landor was an English poet. He was born in 1775 at Warwick and died in 1864. He raised a private regiment to fight against Napoleon in Spain.
Walter William Ouless was an English portrait painter. He was born in 1848 at St Helier on Jersey.
Walter Pater was an English critic. He was born in 1839 and died in 1894.
Walter Richard Sickert was an English artist. He was born in 1860 and died in 1942.
Walter Skeat was the first great English philologist. He was born in 1835 and died in 1912. He wrote The Principles of English Etymology and the Etymological English Dictionary. He was the founder and later President of the English Dialect Society.
The Wapisianas are a South American indian tribe still found in Guyana.
The Warraus are a South American indian tribe still found in Guyana.
Warren Hastings was governor general of India. He was born in 1732 and died in 1818. In 1788 he was tried for high crimes and misdemeanors. The trial lasted 7 years until he was acquitted in 1795.
Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian artist. He was born in 1866 at Moscow and died in 1944.
Wat Tyler was the leader of the English peasant's revolt of 1381.
Whig was a nickname applied to the Covenanters in Scotland and later generally to the Presbyterian party in Scotland and the opponents of the monarchy in England. In the early 19th century the term was replaced with ''liberal''.
Wibba was king of Mercia in 597.
Wihtred was king of the Heptarchy in 694.
Wilbur Wright was the brother of Orville Wright. He was born in 1867 and died in 1912.
Wilhelm Ostwald was a German chemist. He was born in 1853 at Riga and died in 1932. He was appointed Professor of Chemistry in Leipzig in 1887 and conducted research into physical chemistry and solutions.
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a 19th century German composer. He was born in 1813 at Leipzig and died in 1883. His first opera, Rienzi, was refused in Paris but was accepted and performed at Dresden in 1842. It was followed by The Flying Dutchman in 1843. Owing to his revolutionary politics, he was exiled for some years and suffered great poverty until 1864 when Ludwig, King of Bavaria, provided him with a home and income at Munich. He later resided at Bayreuth where his great festival theatre was set up. In 1870 he married Cosima, daughter of Liszt.
Wilhem Messerschmitt was a German aircraft designer and manufacturer. He was born in 1898 and died in 1978. His planes included the first jet combat aircraft.
Willem Barents was a Dutch navigator who discovered Spitzbergen on his third voyage to find a north east passage to Asia in 1594. He died in 1597.
William Henry Beveridge was the first baron beveridge. He was born in 1879, dying in 1963. He was an economist who designed the present British social Security service.
William Blackwood was a Scottish publisher. He was born in 1776 in Edinburgh and died in 1834. He started publishing ''Blackwood's Magazine'' in 1817.
William Blake was an English poet and artist. He was born in London in 1757. He died in 1827.
William Bligh was the commander of the ship ''Bounty'' when the crew mutinied in the South Seas. He was born in 1753 in Plymouth and died in 1817 in London. The mutiny occured while the Bounty was on course for Jamaica. Bligh and 18 men were cast adrift in a boat not far from Tonga. After a journey of 4000 miles they reached Timor and made it back to England. The mutineers sailed to Pitcairn Island where their ancestors still live.
William Lisle Bowles was an English poet. He was born in 1762 at King's Sutton and died in 1850.
William Bowyer was an English printer. He was born in 1699 in London and died in 1777. In 1729 he became printer of the votes of the House Of Commons. In 1767 he was nominated printer of the journals of the House of Lords.
William Caxton was the first English printer. He was born in 1422 and died in 1491. He established a press in Westminster in 1477 and from there he issued about 80 books.
William Clifford was an English philosopher and mathematician. He was born in 1845 and died in 1879. He was professor at University College London. His mathematical works include treatises and lectures on elliptic functions and non-Euclidean geometry, bi-quaternions and Riemann's surface. His philosophical works deal mainly with the relations between the individual and society, especially in ethics.
William Cobett was a British author and journalist. He was born in 1763 at Surrey and died in 1835.
William Fredk Cody was an American scout and showman. He was born in 1846 and died in 1917. He coined the nickname "Buffalo Bill" when in 1867 - 1868 he supplied 4000 buffaloes as food to the employees on the Kansas Pacific railway. He toured America and Europe with his famous Wild West Show between 1883 and 1887 and in 1904 wrote The Adventures of Buffalo Bill.
William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist. He was born in 1824 and died in 1889. William Collins was an English landscape painter.
William Congreve was an English playwright. He was born in 1670 at Leeds and died in 1729. He was educated in Ireland. He went to London when he was in his early twenties. He wrote comedy plays.
William Cowper was an English poet. He was born in 1731 and died in 1800.
William Dampier was an English explorer. He was born in 1652. He died in 1715.In 1699 he was sent to explore the coast of Australia and New Guinea.
William Duell was executed for murder at Tyburn in 1740, but whilst undergoing dissection at Surgeons' Hall he came back to life.
William Elphinstone was a Scottish prelate and statesman. He was born in 1435 and died in 1514. He was envoy of Scotland to France on behalf of James III and became Bishop of Aberdeen in 1484. He founded Aberdeen University.
William Harrison Faulkner was an American author. He was born in 1897 and died in 1962.
William Gilbert was an English physician and physicist. He was born in 1544 at Colchester and died in 1603. He coined the word electricity to describe the property of amber for attracting light objects. He also pioneered work into magnetism.
William Ewart Gladstone was an English Liberal member of parliament. He was born in 1808 and died in 1898. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1852 until 1855 and Prime Minister from 1868 until 1874 and again from 1880 until 1885 and yet again from 1892 until 1894.
William Godwin was an English political writer and philosopher. He was born in 1756, dying in 1836.
William Harvey was an English physician. He was born in 1578 at Folkestone and died in 1657. He discovered the circulation of the blood.
William Heath Robinson was an English cartoonist renowned for his humorous drawings of machines. He was born in 1872, dying in 1944.
William Hogarth was an English artist. He was born in 1697 at London and died in 1764.
William Holman Hunt was an English painter. He was born in 1827 at London and died in 1910.
William I was King of Scotland from 1165 to 1214.
William James was an American psychologist. He was born in 1842 and died in 1910
William Janszoon was a Dutch explorer. He discovered Australia in 1606.
William Thomson Kelvin was a professor of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow. He was born in 1824 at Belfast and died in 1907. He determined the absolute zero of temperature.
William Langland was probably an English priest. He was born in 1332 and died in 1400. He is remembered for his poem The Visions of Piers The Plowman which gives a detailed account of English life at the time.
William Laud was an English churchman. He was born in 1573 at Reading and died in 1645. He was made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633.
William Morris was an English poet, craftsman and socialist. He was born in 1834, dying in 1896. He founded the socialist league and the kelmscott press.
William Richard Morris Nuffield was a British industrialist and philanthropist. He was born in 1877 at Worcester and died in 1963.
William Paley was an English theologian. He was born in 1743 and died in 1805. In 1782 he became archdeacon of Carlisle. He wrote ''Evidences of Christianity'' in 1794.
William Penn was an English quaker and the founder of Pennsylvania. He was born in 1644, dying in 1718.
William Pitt was a Whig politician. He was born in 1708 and died in 1778.
William Pulteney was 1st Earl of Bath. He was born in 1684 and died in 1764. He led the opposition against Walpole, and became prime minister in 1741.
William Michael Rossetti was the brother of Dante Gabriele Rossetti. He was an English author. He was born in 1829 and died in 1919.
William Shakespeare was an English dramatist and poet. He was born in stratford upon avon in 1564, dying in 1616.
William Somerset Maugham was an English novelist. He was born in 1874 at Paris and died in 1965.
William Tell was a Swiss hero. He lived during the 14th century.
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist. He was born at calcutta in 1811, dying in 1863. He wrote vanity fair.
William Tyndale was a British translator and tract writer. He was born in 1492 and died in 1536. He translated the New Testament.
William Henry Waddington was a French diplomat. He was born in 1826 and died in 1894. He was ambassador to Great Britain from 1883 to 1893 and was responsible in a great part for the friendly relations between France and Britain.
William Vincent Wallace was a British composer. He was born in 1814 at Waterford and died in 1865. He composed operas.
William Wilberforce was an English statesman. He was born in 1759 at Hull and died in 1833. His life was dedicated to the abolition of slavery.
William Wordsworth was an English poet. He was born in 1770 at Cockermouth and died in 1850.
William II was a son of William The Conqueror and King of England from 1087 to 1100.
William III was King of England from 1689 to 1702.
William IV was King of England from 1830 to 1837.
Withlafe was king of Mercia in 825.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer. He was born at Salzburg in 1756, dying in 1791. He began his career at the age of 4 and toured Europe when he was 6. In 1781 he settled in vienna and became friends with haydn.
The Wolof are the majority ethnic group living in Senegal. There is also a Wolof minority in Gambia. There are about 2 million speakers of Wolof, a language belonging to the Niger-
Congo family. The Wolof are predominantly arable farmers, and some also raise cattle.
Wulfhere was king of Mercia in 656. He slew his two sons.
Xenophanes was a Greek poet and philosopher. He lived around 500BC.
Xerxes was King of Persia. He was born in 519bc, dying in 465bc. He invaded Greece and defeated the spartans at thermopylae but he in turn was defeated at salamis.
The Xhosa are a Bantu people of southern Africa, living mainly in the Black National State of Transkei. Traditionally, the Xhosa were farmers and pastoralists, with a social structure based on a monarchy.
The Yao are a people living in south China, north Vietnam, north Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar (Burma), and numbering about 4 million. The Yao language may belong to either the Sino-Tibetan or the Thai language family. The Yao incorporate elements of ancestor worship in their animist religion. The Yao are generally hill-dwelling farmers practising shifting cultivation, growing rice, vegetables, and also opium poppies. Some are nomadic.
Yardy is a Jamaican slang expression for someone (Jamaican or foreign) who knows their way around the island, and especially the ghettoe. The expression is often misused in England to describe an imaginary gang of organised Jamaican criminals (the yardies). Infact, no such Jamaican mafia exists.
The Yi are a people living in south China; there are also Yi populations in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, totaling about 5.5 million. The Yi are farmers, producing both crops and livestock. Their language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family; their religion is animist.
A Yorkist was a member or supporter of the Royal House of York. The term especially applies to the Yorkshire faction of the War Of The Roses.
The Yoruba are the majority ethnic group living in south west Nigeria; there is a Yoruba minority in east Benin. They number approximately 20 million in all, and their language belongs to the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family. The Yoruba established powerful city-states in the 15th century, known for their advanced culture which includes sculpture, art, and music.
Yuri Gagarin was a Russian cosmonaut and the first man to go into space in 1961.
The Zapotec are a North American Indian people of south Mexico, now numbering approximately 250,000, living mainly in Oaxaca. The Zapotec language, which belongs to the Oto-Mangean family, has nine dialects
Zoltan Kodaly was a Hungarian composer. He was born in 1882 and died in 1967.