People and Peoples (A-C)
People and Peoples (A-C)
Aaron was the brother of Moses.
The Ababdeh were (are?) a nomadic African tribe inhabiting Egypt between the Nile and the Red Sea.
An Abbess is the female superior of a community of nuns.
An abbot is the superior of a community of monks.
Pierre Abelard was a French philosopher. He was born in 1079, dying in 1142. He founded scholastic theology.
An aborigine is a member of an indigenous people.
Absalom was the third and favourite son of David. He was killed leading a rebellion against his father.
The Accadians were the primitive inhabitants of Babylonia described in the cuneiform inscriptions.
An accountant is someone who keeps accounts.
The Achaeans were one of the four races into which the ancient Greeks were divided.
Edward Goodrich Acheson was an American Inventor. He was born in 1856, dying in 1931. He invented carborundrum and artificially prepared graphite.
An acrobat is someone who performs daring gymnastics.
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton was a British historian. He was born at Naples in 1834 and died in 1902.
An actor is a dramatic performer. One who performs in plays.
Saint Adalbert was a missionary in north Germany and Poland. He was born in 955, dying in 997. He was martyred in Bremen.
Robert Adam was a Scottish architect and designer. He was born in 1728 and died in 1792. He was responsible for the Adelphi.
Joseph Addison was an English essayist and poet. He was born in 1672, dying in 1719. He was co-author of the spectator.
An adept is someone who is proficient at some thing.
Alfred Adler was an Austrian psychologist. He was born in 1870, dying in 1937. He put forward the the theory of the inferiority complex.
Admiral is a rank in the navy.
Aedh was King of Scotland from 877 to 878.
Aesop was the author of fables about animals. He lived around 620 - 560 BC.
An Afghan is an inhabitant of Afghanistan.
An African is an inhabitant of Africa.
The Aga was the title of the leader of the Ottoman empire.
Agnes is the patron saint of virgins.
The Ainos were the aboriginal inhabitants of Japan. They were a short race, averaging about 5 feet in height with black hair and typicaly hairy bodies. As recently as 1900 they inhabited the island of Yesso.
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.
Luigi Alamanni was an Italian poet. He was born in 1495 at Florence and died in 1556.
The Alani (Alans) were a warlike tribe which migrated from Asia westwards at the time of the decline of the Roman empire. During the 5th century they merged with the Vandals.
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.
Francesco Albani was an Italian painter. He was born in 1578 at Bologna and died in 1660.
Alboin was King of the Lombards from 561. He died in 573 when he was assassinated at the orders of his wife Rosamond.
Johann Georg Albrechtsberger was a German composer. He was born in 1736 and died in 1809. he taught Beethoven and Moscheles amongst others.
Jeanne D'Albret was Queen of Navarre and wife of Antoine de Bourbon. She was born in 1528 and died due to poisoning in 1572.
Affonso de Albuquerque was a Portugese admiral. He was born in 1452 and died in 1515. He was viceroy of Portugese West Africa in 1503.
Saint Aldhelm was born in 640 and died in 709. He was abbot of Malmsebury and later the bishop of Sherborne. He was an architect and poet.
Richard Aldington was an English writer and poet. He was born in 1892 and died in 1962. He was born in Hampshire. He wrote a controversial biography of Lawrence of Arabia.
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.
Alessandro Scarlatti was an Italian composer. He was born in 1659 and died in 1725. He founded modern Italian Opera.
Alexander was King of Scotland from 1107 to 1124.
Alexander II was King of Scotland from 1214 to 1249.
Alexander III was King of Scotland from 1249 to 1286.
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.
Alfred was King of the west Saxons and King of England from 871 to 901.
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 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 was an Albanian chief. He was born in 1741 and died in 1822.
Jean Louis Baron Alibert was a French physician. He was born in 1766 and died in 1837. He was chief physician at the Hospital St. Louis.
Archibald Alison was a Scottish theologian and writer on aesthetics. He was born in 1757 in Edinburgh and died in 1839.
Salvador Allende was a radical Chilean marxist democrat leader who became president in 1970, but was killed in a military coup in 1973.
Roald Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer. First to reach south pole.
Anacreon was a Greek lyric poet. He was born in 569BC and died in 475BC
Anaxagoras was an Ionian philosopher. He went to Athens in 464BC and inspired Pericles and Euripides with his love of science. He was born in 488BC and died in 428BC.
Gerry Anderson is a highly innovative creator of children's science fiction adventure television programmes. His creations of Thunderbirds, Joe-90, and Stingray are legendary. More recently he created "Space Precinct" probably one of the most expensive television cereals yet produced costing over 1 million pounds per episode to produce.
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.
Andromeda was a daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopea. Perseus found her bound to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. Perseus rescued her after killing the sea monster so that she might become his wife.
Fra Angelico was an Itailian painter. He was born in 1387 and died in 1455. He especially painted religious frescoes.
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.
Jean Anouilh was a French dramatist. He was born in 1910 and died in 1987.
The apache are a tribe of Indians that live in Arizona.
Lucius Apuleius was a Roman lawyer, philosopher and author. He lived around 160.
The Arabs are a Semitic race of people who originally inhabited Saudi Arabia and the neighboyring countries.
Archimedes was a great ancient Greek mathematician.
Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher.
Neil Armstrong was the first man to step onto the moon in 1969.
Arnold Bennett was a British novelist. He was born at Hanley in Staffordshire in 1867, and died in 1931.
King Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon and ruled Britain around the 5th century.
Asoka was an Indian emperor and upholder of Buddhism. He was born in 269BC and died in 232BC.
Asser was a welsh monk who lived during the 9th century and is credited with writing about the life of King Alfred.
Fred Astaire was the adopted name of Frederick Austerlitz, an American actor, singer and dancer. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1899 and died in 1987.
He starred in numerous films, including Top Hat, Easter Parade, and Funny Face,
many of the films contain inventive dance sequences which he designed and
choreographed himself. He made ten classic films with the most popular of his
dancing partners, Ginger Rogers. He later played straight dramatic roles in such films as On the Beach.
Athelstan succeeded Edward as King of England from 924 to 940.
Attila was King of the Huns. He was born in 406, dying in 453.
Aurangzeb was a Mogul emperor of India. He was born in 1618 and died in 1707.
Jane austen was an English author. She was born in Hampshire in 1775. She died in 1817.
The Aztecs were an American Indian tribe inhabiting Mexico.
Charles Babbage was a British mathematician. He designed an analytical engine which was the forerunner of th modern computer. He was born in 1801 and died in 1871.
Baber was the founder of the Mogul dynasty which ruled northern India for 300 years. He was born in 1483, dying in 1530.
The Babi are a Persian religious sect formed in 1843 by Bab Ed Din.
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer. He was born at Eisenach in 1685. He died in 1750.
Francis Bacon was an English philosopher. He was born in 1561 and died in 1626.
Roger Bacon was the founder of English philosophy. He was born in 1220, dying in 1294. In 1257 he became a fanciscan friar.
Baden-Powell was a British soldier. He was born in 1857. He died in 1941. He was the founder of the scouting movement.
The Baggara are a Muslim Bedouin people of the Nile Basin.
John Logie Baird was a Scottish scientist. He pioneered television. He was born in 1888, dying in 1946.
A baker is a person who manufacturers bread.
Stanley Baldwin was an English statesman. He was born in 1867, dying in 1947. He was prime minister three times.
Sir Joseph Banks was a British botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage and was mainly responsible for the colonization of Australia. He was born in 1743 and died in 1820. Nathaniel Prentiss Banks was an American politician and soldier. He defended Washingston from Jackson's army in 1862. He was born in 1816 and died in 1894. Thomas Banks was an English sculptor. He was born in 1735 and died in 1805. He made the monument to Dr. Watts in Westminster Abbey.
A banshee is a fairy who forewarns of death by wailing.
John Barbour was the father of Scottish poetry. He was born in 1316 and died in 1395.
Henri Barbusse was a French writer. He was born in 1874 and died in 1935.
A bard was a celtic poet.
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.
Sabine Baring-Gould was an English author or numerous hymns and novels. He was born in 1834 and died in 1924.
Jane Barlow was an Irish novelist. She was born in 1860 and died in 1917. Her works are renowned for their depiction of the Irish peasantry.
Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman who launched the enterprise known as "the greatest show on earth". He was born in 1810 and died in 1891.
Vicente Barrantes was a Spanish publicist and author. He was born in 1829 and died in 1898.
Reginald Barratt was an English watercolour artist famous for his perfection of draughtmanship. He was born in 1861 and died in 1917.
Sir William Fletcher Barrett was a British scientist. He was the principal founder of the Society for Psychical Research. He was born in 1844 and died in 1925.
George Barrington was an Irish pick-pocket and author. He was deported to Botany Bay. He was born in 1755 and died in 1840. He wrote the line "we left our country for our country's good".
Samuel Barrington was a British admiral who gained distinction during the Seven Years War. He was born in 1729 and died in 1800.
Sir John Wolfe Barry was a civil engineer who built Tower Bridge. He was born in 1836 and died in 1918.
Bela Bartok was a Hungarian composer. He was born in 1881, dying in 1945.
Jules Bastien-Lepage was a French painter. He was born in 1848 and died in 1884. His works include Sarah Bernhardt and Joan of Arc listening to the voices.
The Batak are a number of distinct but related peoples of northern Sumatra in Indonesia.
The Beaker People were people of Iberian origin who spread out over Europe in the 2nd millenium BC. They are belived to have built Stonehenge in England. They are called the Beaker People because their remains include earthenware beakers.
Aubrey Vincent Beardsley was a black-and-white decorative artist. He was born in 1872 and died in 1898.
Beethoven was a German composer.
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.
Hilaire Belloc was a French author born in 1870. In 1902 he became a British subject. He died in 1953.
The Bemba are an African people of northern Zambia.
Stephen Vincent Benet was an American writer. He was born in 1898 and died in 1943. He wrote the poem John Brown's Body which deals with the American Civil War.
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.
The berbers are a race of people in north Africa.
Marcellin Pierre Eugene Berthelot was a French chemist and politician. He was born in 1827, dying in 1907. He was the first person to produce organic compounds synthetically.
Jons Jakob Berzelius was a Swedish chemist. He was born in 1779, dying in 1848. He was the founder of electrochemical theory and designed the system of chemical symbols still in use.
Sir Henry Bessemer was born in 1813, dying in 1898. He invented the bessemer Converter which is a three stage process for maKing cheap steel.
Charles Herbert was a Canadian physiologist. He was born in 1899, dying in 1978. With Banting he discovered the use of insulin in treating diabetes.
Sir John Betjeman was an English poet. He was born in 1906, dying in 1984. He was the poet laureate from 1972 to 1984.
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.
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.
Ernest bevin was an British trade unionist. He was born in 1881, dying in 1951. He was foreign secretary from 1945 to 1951.
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.
Marie Francois Xavier Bichat was a French physiologist. He was born in 1771 and died in 1802. He studied tissue and formed the basis of modern histology.
John Biddle was an English unitarian. He was born in 1615, dying in prison in 1662. He was imprisoned for his controversial writings.
Laurence Binyon was a poet, art critic and orientalist. He was born in 1869, dying in 1943. He worked at the British museum fvrom 1893 to 1933.
Samuel John Lamorna Birch was an English lanscape painter. He was born in 1869, dying in 1955.
George Birkbeck founded the mechanics' institutes. He was born in 1776, dying in 1841.
Sir Henry Rowley Bishop was an English composer. He was born in 1786, dying in 1855. He wrote home sweet home.
Otto Eduard Leopold Von Bismarck was a pRussian diplomat and statesman. He was born in 1815, dying in 1898. He was the main architect of the German empire.
Otto bismark was Prussian prime minister in 1862, and chancellor of Germany in 1867. He became the first chancellor of the German empire in 1871.
Bizet was a French composer born in paris in 1838. He died in 1875.
Sir James Black is a British scientist. He was born in 1924. He was awarded a nobel prize for medicine in 1988 for his work on drugs which prevent heart attacks.
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.
The blackfeet are a north American Indian tribe.
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to obtain an MD degree. She was born in 1821 in England. She graduated from the College of Geneva in New York in 1849.
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.
Sir Gilbert Blane was a Scottish physician. He was born in 1749 in Ayrshire and died in 1834. He was private physician to Admiral Rodney, and then physician to the fleet in the West Indies, in which position he introduced the use of lime-juice and other means of preventing scurvy among sailors. He wrote "Elements of Medical Logic".
Jerome Adolphe Blanqui was a French economist. He was born in 1798 at Nice and died in 1854 in Paris. He was introduced to economics while studying medicine at Paris. He favoured a free-trade policy and wrote a number of works including "Precis Elementaire d'Economie Politique".
St. Blasius was Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia. He was said to have been martyred around 316 by torture with a wool-comb, from which he became the patron saint of wool-combers.
Louis Bleriot made the first crossing of the English channel in an aircraft. The aircraft was his monoplane. The crossing took place on july 25th 1909.
Steen Stensen Blicher was a Danish poet and novelist. He was born in 1782 and died in 1848. His novels give an accurate account of country life in Jutland in the middle of the 19th century.
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.
Marcus Eliezer Bloch was a naturalist. He was born in 1723 at Anspach and died in 1799. His main work was on fish, and he wrote "Natural History Of Fishes" in 1785 which included 432 colour plates.
Abraham Bloemaart was a Dutch painter. He was born in 1565 and died in 1657.
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.
A Blue-stocking was a litterary lady. The term was applied around the time of Dr Johnson when ladies would hold conversation with distinguised 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.
The boers were early Dutch colonists in South Africa.
The Bogos are a Hamitic people of Northern Syria.
The boiars were an order of the Russian aristocracy next in rank to the ruling Princes. The order was abolished by Peter the Great.
Pierre Bonnard was a French painter famous for painting nudes. He was born in fontenay-aux-roses in 1867. He died in 1947.
Bonzes was the name used by Europeans for Buddist priests around 1900.
Lucretia Borgia was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI. She was born in 1480 and died in 1523.
George Borrow was an English writer. He was born in 1803 and died in 1881. he wrote the Dictionary of the Gypsy Language in 1874.
Juan Boscan-Almogaver was a Spanish poet. He was born in the late 15th century and died in 1540. He introduced Italian forms into Spanish poetry.
Roger Joseph Boscovich was an Italian astronomer and geometrician. He was born in 1711 at Ragusa and died in 1787 in Milan.
Joseph Bosworth was an English philologist. He was born in 1790 in derbyshire and died in 1876. He studied the Anglo-Saxon language and wrote several works on it including "Anglo-Saxon Grammar" and "Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Labguage".
Karl August Bottiger was a German archaeologist. He was born in 1760 and died in 1835. In 1814 he was appointed chief inspector of the museum of Antiquities in Dresden.
Horatio Bottomley was an English politician and financier. He was born in 1860, dying in 1933. He was imprisoned for fraud.
Dion Boucicault was an Irish author and actor. He was born in 1822 at Dublin and died in 1890.
Matthew Boulton was an English mechanical engineer. He was born in 1728 at Birmingham and died in 1809. In 1769 he formed a partnership with James Watt.
Thomas Edward Bowdich was an African explorer. He was born in 1790 and died in 1824 of disease in the Gambia.
James Bowdoin was an American statesman. He was born in 1727 at Boston and died in 1790. In 1785 he was appointed govenor of Massachusetts.
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.
Sir Reginald James Bowker was a British statesman. He was born in 1901. He was ambassador to Burma from 1948 to 1950, ambassador to Turkey from 1954 to 1958 and ambassador to Austria from 1958 to 1961.
William Lisle Bowles was an English poet. He was born in 1762 at King's Sutton and died in 1850.
Sir William Bowman was an English anatomist and surgeon. He was born in 1816 and died in 1892. He collaborated with Todd in writing "The Physiological Anatomy".
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.
James Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in 1716 and died in 1772. He built the Bridgewater Canal in 1758 and the Grand Trunk Canal.
Bromius was another name for Dionysus.
Bruce Smith is drum player with the rock group Public Image Ltd.
Clement Burke was premier drummer with the 70's punk band Blondie. He also provided backing vocals for many tracks.
The bushman are an aboriginal people living in south Africa.
Richard Evelyn Byrd was an American scientist and explorer. He started his career in the navy, but took up flying. In 1926 he flew over the North Pole. He was born in 1888 and died in 1957. William Byrd was an English composer. He was born in 1543 and died in 1623.
Lord George Gordon Byron was an English poet. He was born in 1788 and died in 1824.
John Cabot was an Italian navigator. He was born in Genoa in 1450 and died in 1498. He discovered Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
Caligula was a Roman Emperor, alleged to be mad he was assassinated by a guard.
Caliph is the title of the civic and religious leader of Islam.
John Calvin was a Swiss religious reformer. He was born in 1509 and died in 1564. He was influenced by Martin Luther.
Sir Malcolm Campbell was a British racing motorist. He set land speed records and speed-boat speed records. He was born in 1885 and died in 1949. Donald Campbell was the son of Malcolm Campbell. He broke the world water speed record on Ullswater in 1955. He was born in 1921 and died in 1967.
Albert Camus was a French writer. He was born in 1913 and died in 1959.
Antonio Canaletto was an Italian painter. He was born at Venice in 1697 and died in 1768. He painted scenes.
King canute ruled England from 1016 to 1035.
Captain is a rank in the armed services.
Andrew Carnegie was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He was born at Dunfermline in 1835 and died in 1919.
Lewis Carroll was the pen-name of Charles Dodgson. He was a writer of poetry and children's books. He was born in 1832 and died in 1898.
The Carthusians were a religious order instituted by St. Bruno in 1084.
Edmund Cartwright was an English cleric and inventor. He was born in 1743 at Marnham and died in 1823. He invented a mechanical weaving machine.
Gaius Valerius Catullus was a Roman lyric poet. He was born at verona in 84BC and died in 54BC.
Edith Louisa Cavell was an English nurse who helped allied soldiers to escape from occupied territory during the Great War. She was caught and shot by the Germans. She was born in 1865 in Norfolk and died in 1915.
Henry Cavendish was an English scientist who investigated the nature of gases. He was born in 1731, dying in 1810.
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.
Saint Cecilia was a Christian martyr. She died in 230. She is associated with church music.
Celaeno was one of the harpies.
Benvenuto Cellini was a Florentine goldsmith and sculptor. He was born in 1500 and died in 1571.
Anders Celsius was a Swedish astronomer. He was born in 1701 and died in 1744. He invented the centigrade scale for measuring temperature.
The Celts were tribes which came to Britain from central Europe in the late Bronze age and again in the Iron Age.
A centurion was an officer in the Roman army commanding 100 men.
Cepheus was the King of aethiopia. He displeased poseidon by having a beautiful daughter, andromeda. Poseidon then sent floods and a sea monster to terrorise the area until Cepheus gave his daughter as a sacrifice to the sea monster.
Saavedra Miguel de Cervantes was a Spanish writer. He was born in 1547 at Acala de Henares and died in 1616. He was the author of the book Don Quixote de la Mancha.
Paul Cezanne was a French painter. He was born in 1839 at Aix-en-Provence. He studied with Picasso.
Marc Chagall was a Russian painter. He was born in 1887 at Vitebsk.
Sir Austen Chamberlain was a British politician. He was born in 1863 at Birmingham and he died in 1937. He initiated the Locarno pact in 1925 which sought to reconcile France and Germany. Neville Chamberlain was a British politician. He was born in 1869 and died in 1940. He became Prime Minister in 1937.
Jean Francis Champollion was a French scholar. He was born in 1790 and died in 1832. He deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphic writing from studing the Rosetta Stone.
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.
Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin was a French painter. He was born in 1699 and died in 1779. He painted still lifes and interior scenes.
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 I was King of England from 1625 to 1649. He was born in 1600
and died in 1649.
Charles II was King of England from 1660 to 1685.
Francois Rene Vicomte de Chateaubriand was a politician and pioneer of the French Romantic Movement. He was born in 1768 and died in 1848. He was ambassador to Britain in 1822 and minister of Foreign Affairs from 1823 until 1824.
Thomas Chatterton was an English poet. He was born in 1752 and died in 1770.
Geoffrey Chaucer was an English poet. He was born in 1340 and died in 1400. His works include the Canterbury Tales.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian writer born at Taganrog in 1860. He died in 1904.
The Cherokee are a north American Indian tribe.
Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an English author of essays, verse and novels. He was born in 1874 and died in 1936.
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.
Thomas Chippendale was one of England's most famous furniture makers. He was born in 1718 in Yorkshire and died in 1779.
Frederic Francois Chopin was a Polish composer. He was born in 1810
near Warsaw and died in 1849. He spent much of his life in Paris where
he founded the modern style of piano playing.
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was a Britsh statesman. He was born in 1874 at Blenheim Palace and died in 1965. He was Britains Prime Minister during the Second World War.
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman orator, politician and writer. He was born in 106BC and died in 43BC.
Cimabue was an Italian painter. He was born in 1240 and died in 1302.
Claude Lorraine was a French landscape painter. He was born in 1600 at Lorraine and died in 1682.
Claudius I was born in 10BC 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.
Georges Clemenceau was a French republican and statesman. He was born in 1841 at Mouilleron-en-Pareds and died in 1929. He was Prime Minister of France in 1906 and inaugurated a scheme of social reform.
Cleopatra was a name of Egyptian queens. Cleopatra VI was a lover of caesar and following his murder mark Antony. She commited suicide in 31bc
A Clerk of the Peace is a county lawyer who gives advice to the Justices of the Peace and keeps records of his county.
Robert Clive was the principal founder of the British Empire in India. He is also known as Clive of India. He was born in 1725 at Market Drayton and died in 1774. As a child he formed a protection racket and demanded money from the local shop keepers!
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.
John Rhodes Cobb was a British racing motorist. He established the world record of 394.2mph at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah in September 1947.
William Cobett was a British author and journalist. He was born in 1763 at Surrey and died in 1835.
Jean Cocteau was a French actor, poet, film director and play wright. He wrote the book Les Enfants Terribles. He was born in 1891 and died in 1963.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet. He was born in 1772 and died in 1834. He is best remembered for his poem the Ancient Mariner.
Colin was King of Scotland from 967 to 971.
William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist. He was born in 1824 and died in 1889. William Collins was an English landscape painter.
Samuel colt of hartford, conneticut patented the first successful percussion revolver in England in 1835 and in America in 1836.
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.
Johann Amos Comenius was a Czech educational reformer. He was born in 1592 at Moravia and died in 1671. He advised throughout Europe on the teaching of languages, suggesting that they should be taught by conversation and that pictures helped.
In music, a conductor is a musician who directs the performance of a piece of music.
Confucius was an ancient chinese philosopher.
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.
John Conolly was an English physician. He was born in 1794 in Lincolnshire and died in 1866. He introduced a new form of treatment for the mentally ill, whereby mechanical restraints were no longer used.
Conon was an Athenian general. He commanded the fleet of 413BC which was intended to prevent the Corinthians from relieving Syracuse during their war with Athens.
Joseph Conrad was a British novelist. He was born in 1857 in the Ukraine and died in 1924. He spent twenty years at sea and then settled in Kent to work as a writer.
Conrad I was King of Germany in 911. He was killed in 918 while fighting the Hungarians.
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 was King of Germany from 1138 to 1152. He adopted the double headed eagle symbol which is still in use in Austria today.
Hendrik Conscience was a Flemish novelist. He was born in 1812 at Antwerp and died in 1883. He wrote novels mainly dealing with the history of his country and provide accounts of everyday life in Belgium.
John Constable was an English landscape painter. He was born in 1776 at Suffolk and died in 1837.
Constantine 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 was King of Scotland from 900 to 943.
Constantine III was King of Scotland from 995 to 997.
A consul is an official who who looks after the trading interests of his country in foreign towns.
The contras are a right wing Nicaraguan guerrilla force.
Captain James Cook was an English sailor and explorer. In 1768 he sailed around the world. He discovered easter island in 1772.
Sir Astley Paston Cooper was an English surgeon and the author of medical text books. He was born in 1768, dying in 1841.
James Fenimore Cooper was an American novelist. He was born in 1789, dying in 1851. He wrote the last of rthe Mohicans and the Deerslayer.
Anthony Ashley Cooper was an English philanthropist. He was born in 1801 and died in 1885.
Nicholas Copernicus was the founder of astronomy. He was born in 1478 at torun in poland. He died in 1543. He studied at cracow university and settled in frauenburg in 1512. He put forward the theory that the planets revolve around the sun.
Francois Joachim Coppee was a French poet,novelist and dramatist. He was born in 1842, dying in 1908.
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian composer. He was born in 1653, dying in 1713.
Pierre Corneille was a French dramatist. He was born in 1606, dying in 1684. He was a master of the classical tragedy.
Charles Cornwallis was the 1st 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 independance.
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.
Jean Baptiste Corot was a French landscape painter. He was born in 1796, dying in 1875.
Antonio Allegri da Correggio was an Italian painter. He was born in 1494 at correggio. He died in 1534. He painted the ecce homo.
Hernando Cortes was a Spanish adventurer. He was born in 1488, dying in 1547. He captured mexico for spain, and destroyed the ancient civilisation there.
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.
George Gordon Coulton was an English cholar and historian. He was born in 1858, dying in 1947. He wrote the book five centuries of religion.
Francois Couperin was a French composer. He was born in 1668 near Paris and died in 1733.
Gustave Courbet was a French painter. He was born in 1819 at Ornans and died in 1877.
Victor Cousin was a French educationalist and philosopher. He was born in 1792, dying in 1867. He founded the eclectic school.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau is a French underwater explorer. He was born in 1910. He has pioneered aqualung diving and made numerous television documentaries.
Miles Coverdale was an English bishop. He was born in 1488 at Yorkshire, dying in 1568. He translated the bible in 1535.
Noel Coward was an English actor, playwright and composer. He was born in 1899.
William Cowper was an English poet. He was born in 1731 and died in 1800.
David Cox was an English landscape painter. He was born in 1783, dying in 1859.
George Crabbe was an English poet. He was born in 1754, dying in 1832.
Lucas Cranach was a German painter. He was born in 1472 at Kronach and died in 1553.
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.
Sir Stafford Cripps was a British labour mp. He was born in 1889, dying in 1952. He was chancellor of the exchequer in post-war Britain.
Saint Crispin is the patron saint of shoe-makers.
John Crome was an English landscape painter. He was born in 1599 at Norwich and died in 1821.
Samuel Crompton was an English inventor born in 1753 he died in 1827. He invented the spinning-mule in 1779.
Oliver Cromwell was protector of the commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. He was born at huntingdon in 1599, dying in 1658. During the English civil war he first served under the earl of Essex before reorganising the parliamentary army. He promoted the trial and execution of Charles I.
Sir William Crookes was an English physicist. He was born in 1832, dying in 1919. He discovered the element thallium in 1861. He invented the crookes tube in 1874.
George Cruikshank was an English artist. He was born in 1792 at London and died in 1878. He is remembered for his caricatures and book illustrations.
Nicholas Culpeper was a 17th century English medical writer and astrologer.
Edward Estlin Cummings was an American writer and painter. He was born in 1894 and died in 1962.
Sir Samuel Cunard was the founder of the Cunard shipping line. He was born in Wales in 1787, dying in 1865.
Marie Curie was a French scientist. She was born in 1867 at warsaw and died in 1934. She and her husband together separated radium in 1902.
George Nathaniel Curzon was an English statesman. He was born in 1859 and died in 1925. He was foreign secretary from 1919 until 1924.
Cyrus was a Persian emperor. He was born in 559bc, dying in 529bc.