Vietnam War. 1946-54. =Indo China War. 1962-75. Democratic South Vietnam falls to Communists despite US aid to 1973.

Villehardouin, Geoffroi de. c1150-1213. French crusader/historian. Conquête de Constantinopole 1209.

Villon, François. 1431-63+. French bohemian poet in “jargon”, secret language of Conquillades. Banished. Le Testament 1461.

Virchow, Rudolf. 1821-1902. German pathologist, anthropologist. Applied microscope to medical research. Cellular pathology 1858.

Voltaire, François. 1694-1778. French philosopher vs tyranny, bigotry, cruelty. Challenged accepted beliefs. Quotations became revolutionary slogans. Lettres Philosophique 1734. Candide 1758.

Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. 1922-. US satirical novelist, social critic. Player Piano 1952. Slaughterhouse Five 1969.

Waldheim, Kurt. 1918-. Austrian. UN Secretary General 1972-82. Austrian president 1986-92. German officer WWII.

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

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

Warsaw. 1596 Polish capital. 1655 Sweden destroys. 1795 Prussia. 1807 Napoleon creates Duchy. 1813 Russia. 1815 Kingdom of Poland. 1939-45 Germany occupies.

Warsaw Uprising. 1830-1. Czartoryski attempt to oust Russians crushed. 1944. Polish underground army defeats Germans but Soviet delay allows German reinforcements to defeat Poles, destroying potential opposition to later Soviet control.

Watergate. 1972-4. US political scandal over burglary of Democratic headquarters. Cover up led to Nixon’s resignation.

Watson, James. 1928-. US discoverer of DNA structure 1953 with Crick.

Webb, Matthew. 1848-83. English. First to swim across English Channel, 1875.

Wenceslaus, St. 907-29. Patron saint of Czechs. Murdered by brother Boleslav I.

Wergeland, Henrick. 1808-45. Norwegian Nationalist writer. Creation 1830.

Westminster, Statute of. 1275,85,90. First reference to Great Council of England as Parliament. Reformed civil and criminal law. Legal protection for poor. 1931. British affirmation of autonomous dominion of British Empire countries. Established British Commonwealth.

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

Whiteboys. 1760. Irish peasants harass landlords, tax collectors, Protestant clergy. 1860-85. Secret Ribbonist movement.

White Revolution. 1950-79. Iran land reform movement of Shah ended by Islamic Revolution.

Whitman, Walt. 1819-92. US freedom poet: Leaves of Grass 1855. Democratic Vistas 1871.

Whittle, Frank. 1903-96. British. Invented jet aircraft 1930 First flown 1941.

Willkie, Wendell. 1892-1944. New Deal critic. US Presidential candidate 1940. One World 1943.

Wilson, Edmund. 1895-1972. US essayist, critic. Triple Thinkers 1938. Wound and the Bow 1941.

Winkelried, Arnold von. -1386. Swiss hero of Sempach. Sacrificed himself to create a breach in the cavalry of Duke Leopold.

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