Veblen, Thorstein. 1857-1929. US sociologist. Theory of the Leisure Class 1899-“conspicuous consumption”.

Vega Carpio, Lope Felix de. 1562-1635. “Father” of Spanish drama. 1800 plays. Italian form to Spanish poetry.

Velázquez, Diego. 1599-1660. Spanish Naturalist court painter. Old Woman Frying Eggs 1618. Coronation of the Virgin 1641. Philip IV 1644. Surrender of Breda. Borrachos. Venus and Mirror 1655.

Velikovsky, Immanuel. 1895-1979. Russian/US writer of controversial scientific theories. Worlds in Collision 1950.

Vendôme Column. Paris. 1805. Has had statues of Napoleon as Caesar, Henry IV, a Fleur-de-lys, Napoleon in uniform, and now a copy of the original.

Verdun. 1916. Battle in which French repulsed the Germans. 750,000 casualties.

Verne, Jules. 1828-1905. French Science Fiction fantasy writer. Voyage to the Centre of the Earth 864. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1870. Round the World in 80 Days 1873.

Verwoerd, Hendrik. 1901-66. South African Prime Minister 1958-66. Apartheid. Left Commonwealth 1961. Assassinated.

Vestal Virgins. Chaste Roman guardians of Temple to Vesta, goddess of the hearth.

Viau, Théophile. 1590-1626. French pre-Classical poet, dramatist. Pyramus and Thisbe 1623.

Vichy. Seat of Pétain’s pro-German government, 1940-44 in unoccupied southern France. Source of waters famous since Roman times.

Vienna, Congress. 1814-15. Redrew map of Europe after Napoleon. Prussia gains Rhine, Westphalia. Swiss borders and neutrality confirmed. Netherlands created from Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg. Malta and Cape Colony ceded to Britain. Russia gets Poland. Austria trades Netherlands for north Italy. France reduced to 1792 borders. Metternich.

Viète, François. 1540-1603. French mathematician, algebraic notation. Equation theory.

Vilar, Esther. 1935-. German anti-feminist writer. Manipulated Man.

Vinland. ~1000. Region of northeast North America discovered by Leif Eriksson. L’Anse aux Meadows.

Visigoths. 376-711. Western Goths. Alaric sacked Rome 410. Defeated at Vouillé by Clovis 510. Settled Spain, southern France 415-711. Destroyed by Moors 711.

Vitalism. Bergson’s theory of evolution. Life force differentiates living things from others. Aristotle.

Voodoo. Carribean religious cult of ritual and magic. Synthesis of African rites and French Roman Catholicism.

Vries, Hugo de. 1848-1935. Dutch botanist. Heredity and mutation. Mutation Theory 1910.

Wales, Prince of. 1301-. Title of heir apparent to the British throne.

Wallace, Alfred. 1823-1913. British naturalist. Theory of natural selection, 1838, independent of Darwin.

Wallis, John. 1616-1703. English mathematician. Calculus, cryptography. Infinitesimals 1655.

Walter the Penniless. -1097. French knight. Led Peasants’ Crusade with Peter the Hermit.

Walther von der Vogelwelde. 1170-1230. German lyric poet.

Warbeck, Perkin. 1474-99. Flemish. Posed as Richard, Duke of York, pretender to the English throne. Executed.

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