Alma, Battle. 1854 Crimean War. French and British defeat Russians at Sebastapol.

Altdorfer, Albrecht. c1480-1538. German founder landscape painting.

Amanollah Khan. 1892-1960. Amir of Afghanistan 1919-29. Won independence from Britain, 1919.

Amboina Massacre. 1623. 20 British and Japanese merchants executed by Dutch for plotting overthrow.

Ambrose, St. c340-397. Bishop of Milan. Introduced Plainsong (chant) into church music.

American Civil War. 1861-5. Abolitionist North defeats slave-owning South. Britain and France support South, Russia supports North. Union. Confederacy.

American Revolution. 1775-1783. Independence won from Britain, United States of America formed.

Amethyst Incident. 1949. Escape of British frigate from China.

Amiens, Treaty. 1527. Henry VIII, Francis I ally vs Charles V. 1802. England, France, Spain, Holland end French Revolutionary Wars. Britain cedes captured territory, gains Ceylon, Trinidad.

Amnesty International. 1961. Human rights watchdog NGO fighting for political prisoners and victims of torture. MacBride.

Amram bar Shishna. -875. Hebrew scholar. Oldest prayer book. Seder Rab Amram.

Amritsar Riot. 1919. British Dyer opens fire on unarmed Indians. 379 dead. 1200 injured.

André, John. 1750-80. British officer in American Revolution. Conspired with Benedict Arnold.

Andrew, St. Apostle and martyr. Patron saint of Scotland and Russia. Peter’s brother.

Angles. Germanic tribe that invaded Britain in 6C. Jutes. Saxons.

Anglo-Afghan Wars. 1839-42. 1878-80. 1919. British limit Russian influence, maintain buffer to India.

Anglo-American War. 1812-14. US, angry at British blockade of France, and Tippecanoe interference, invades Canada. Toronto and White House burned. US defeated. Ghent Treaty.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 9C-1154. Records early British history.

Anglo-Saxons. Group of Germanic tribes that invaded Britain in 5C. Ruled to 1066. Angles. Heptarchy.

Angry Young Men. 1950s British writers. Irreverence for establishment. Amis, Wain, Osborne.

Anne. 1665-1714. British Queen 1702-. Reign notable for literarature, science, architecture. Last Stuart. Acts of Union, Settlement.

Anne of Bretagne. 1477-1514. Wife of Charles VIII, 1491, then of Louis XII, 1499. Began union of Brittany with France.

Annunciation. Angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary re Jesus.

Antarctica. 1773 Cook explores seas. 1820 first sighted. Bransfield. 1821 first landing-Davis. 1911 Amundsen first to S Pole.

Anti-Corn Law League. 1839-46. Cobden and Bright’s pacifist movement for Free Trade, public education, against social reform and Chartists. Corn Laws.

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