Van Dyck, Anthony. 1599-1641. Flemish portrait painter. Subjects showed dignity, elegance. Charles I 1635.

Vergennes, Charles, Compte de. 1719-87. French foreign minister. Allied with American revolutionaries. Treaty of Paris 1783.

Villiers, G. 1592-1628. First Duke of Buckingham. Incompetent favourite of Charles I who dissolved parliament to prevent his impeachment, 1626 causing Civil War.

Wagram, Battle. 1809. Napoleon defeats Austrian Archduke Charles. Znaim. Schönbrunn Treaty.

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

Wheatstone, Charles. 1802-75. English physicist: microphone. Telegraph 1836. Resistance bridge 1843. Concertina 1829. Stereoscope.

Wilkes, Charles. 1798-1877. US Commander, Antarctic explorer. Caused Trent Affair.

Wilson, Charles. 1869-1959. Scottish physicist. Cloud Chamber 1911.

Worms, Diet of. 1521. Called by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Lutheranism outlawed. Luther declared heretic, exiled. Reformation.

Znaim Armistice. 1809. Napoleon and Archduke Charles. Wagram Battle.