Usury. Maximum interest rates: Rome 50BC: 12%, 529: 8%. Islam 622: 0%. Christian 1311: 0%. England: 1623 8%, 1651 6%, 1713 5%, 1854 eliminated. USA, by State: 5-45%

U Thant. 1909-74. Burmese United Nations Secretary General 1961-7.

Uther Pendragon. Legendary British king. Father of King Arthur.

Uthman, ibn ’Affan. -656. Third Moslem caliph. Declared official version of Koran. Assassinated.

Utilitarianism. Good is the maximum good for the maximum number of people. Bentham. Mill. Spencer. Moore.

Utopia. Imaginary ideal state. More. Bacon. Plato.

Utraquists. 15C. Moderate Bohemian Hussite sect; most re-absorbed by Roman Catholic Church 1620. Moravian Church.

Utrecht, Treaties. 1713-14. Ended War of Spanish Succession. Austria gains Netherlands. France cedes Newfoundland, Hudson’s Bay, Nova Scotia to England. Spain cedes Gibraltar, Minorca to England.

Utrecht, Union of. 1579. United Provinces alliance created vs Spanish rule in Netherlands.

Utrillo, Maurice. 1883-1955. Montmartre painter. Sacre Coeur 1937. White Period 1908-14.

U-2 Incident. 1960. US spy plane shot down over USSR. Summit cancelled. Pilot Powers traded for Russian spy Abel 1962.

Uxmal. c600. Mayan city. Abandoned 1450. Mayapan.

Uzbekistan. Bactria. 711 Arabs. 1220 Golden Horde brings Uzbeks. 1494 Shaybanids. 1875 Russia. 1924 USSR. 1991 Independent. CIS.

Uzbeks. Siberian Turkic-Mongol peoples with Golden Horde from Siberia. Uzbekistan.

Uzziah. -c735BC. King of Judah 791-739BC. Defeated Philistines. Died of leprosy, punishment for pride.

Vagrancy Acts. England. 1459 Authorized imprisonment. 1530 whipping. 1535 mutilation. 1597 included entertainers. 1713 branding prohibited.

Vairagin. Hindu ascetic worshippers of Vishnu.

Vaisnavism. 7C BC Hindu sect. Worship Vishnu as Krishna and Rama.

Val-de-Grace. Paris. 1645-1667. Built by Anne of Austria to thank God for birth of Louis XIV after 23 childless years of marriage. Mansart.

Valdemar I. 1131-82. King of Denmark 1157-. Conquered Norway. Allied with Sweden, France, Holy Roman Empire.

Valdemar IV. Atterdag. 1320-75. Danish king 1340-. Re-united Denmark. Opposed Hanseatic League. Sold Estonia to Teutonic Knights.

Valdivia, Pedro de. 1498-1554. Spanish conqueror of Chile, 1450. Founded Santiago.

Valens. 328-78. East Roman Emperor 364-. Killed at Adrianople.

Valentine, St. c270. 2 Christians martyred by Claudius II. Modern celebration derives from Roman Lupercalia fertility festival.

Valentinian III. 419-55. Roman Emperor 425-. Lost Africa to Vandals, Gaul to Huns.

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