Ask. First man in Norse mythology. Embla.

Asquith, Herbert. 1852-1928. Liberal Prime Minister of England, 1908-16: Pensions and unemployment insurance. Parliament Act.

Atalanta. Greek huntress beaten in race by Hippomenes.

Atreus. King of Mycenae. Father of Agamemnon and Menelaus.

Attlee, Clement. 1883-1967. British Labour Prime Minister. 1945-51. National Health. Nationalization.

Augur. -391. Roman interpreter of omens.

Autobahn. German road system begun by Hitler to reduce unemployment, 1934.

Aventine Secession. 1924. 150 Italian government members protest Fascist government. Matteotti.

Avignon Papacy. 1309-77. Popes from Clement V based in Avignon, France. Great Schism.

Axis Pact. 1936-45. German-Italian Agreement, 1936. Cooperative alliance maintained through WWII. Allied with Spain, 1939; Japan, 1936. Yugoslavia 1941. Tripartite Pact.

Ayyubids. Sunni Caliphate dynasty in Egypt 1169-1250. Also in Yemen, Syria.

Babbage, Charles. 1792-1871. British. Invented Difference Engine, 1823-34 -first computer. Founded British Association for the Advancement of Science 1831, Royal Astronomical Society 1820, Royal Statistical Society 1834.

Babylonia. c8000BC Tigris-Euphrates Civ’n. 1792-50BC Hammurabi’s emp. c1530 Kassite. 11C Aramaen, Assyrian. 625 Chaldean. 538 Achaemenid. 331BC Alexander.

Bacon, Roger. 1214-94. English Franciscan monk. Advocated scientific experiment, observation. Alchemist. Formulated gunpowder. Magnifying glass 1250. Opus Majus 1266.Telescope.

Baker, Herbert. 1862-1946. English architect: Pretoria government buildings; New Delhi.

Baku Ru. 1192-19C Japanese Shogunate government.

Bakunin, Mikhail. 1814-76. Russian anarchist revolutionary. International movement. Advocated assassination. Dieu et l’état 1871.

Baldwin, Stanley. 1867-1947. British Conservative Prime Minister. 1923~37. General Strike. Opposed rearmament. “Safety First”.

Ballot Act. 1872. Established secret ballot in English Parliamentary elections.

Baltic Entente. 1923-39. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania agreement for mutual defence vs Germany and Russia.

Baltimore Incident. 1891. Chileans attack US seamen; pay reparations to avert war.

Barbara, St. c200. Maiden martyr at father’s hands, who was struck by lightning. Patron St. of artillerymen.

Barbary Piracy. 1518-1830. G. Washington pays $1M to free enslaved seamen 1796. US attacks Tripoli 1815. French sieze Algiers, 1830.

Barebones Parliament. 1653. Cromwell’s Nominated Puritan Parliament. Named for MP, Praise-God Barbon.

Barry, Charles. 1795-1860. English architect: Westminster Parliament 1840. Trafalgar Square 1840-3.

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