Piazzi, Giuseppe. 1746-1826. Italian discoverer of Ceres, first asteroid seen by man 1801.

Pilâtre de Rosier, Jean-François. 1756-85. Physician and balloonist. First ascent 1783 with Montgolfier; First free flight 1783 with d’Arlandes. Killed trying to cross Channel.

Pinkerton, Allan. 1819-84. Scottish/US founder first US detective agency 1850. Foiled plot vs Lincoln 1861.

Politian. 1454-94. First vernacular Italian poem 1475.

Polyanov, Peace. 1634. Poland receives Smolensk for recognizing first Romanov czar, Michael.

Pont Notre-Dame. Originally the Great Bridge in Roman Paris. Rebuilt in 1413 by Normans. First numbered houses in Paris.

Ponte Vecchio. 1345. Florence. First segmented arch bridge in West.

Poole, William. 1821-94. US. First library periodical index.

Porter, David. 1780-1843. US. Captured first British warship of 1812 war.

Porter, Edwin. 1869/70-1941. US filmmaker. First dramatic editing -Great Train Robbery 1903; First US documentary -The Life of an American Fireman 1903.

Post, Wiley. 1899-1935. US aviator. First solo flight around world 1933.

Prasad, Rajendra. 1884-1963. First president of Indian Republic 1950-62.

Pretorius, Marthinus. 1819-1901. First president of South African Republic 1857-71, president. Orange Free State 1859-64.

Prime Minister. =Premier. Head of parliamentary government under the head of state (monarch or president). Walpole (1721-42) considered first British Prime Minister. Richelieu 1624 France. Chancellor.

Protagoras. c485-411BC. First Greek Sophist. “Man is the measure of all things”. “Truth is subjective to each person”. Exiled c415-.

Ptolemy. c140. Alexandrian. First cartographer. Promoted Hipparchus’ geocentric theory of solar system. Copernicus. Columbus studied his Geography.

Purcell, Henry. 1658-1695. English chorale composer. First English opera. Dido and Aeneas 1689. King Arthur 1691. Fairy Queen 1692.

Pythagoras. c582-500BC. Greek philosopher: numbers are key to understanding the universe. Founded first school of higher learning at Crotona, Italy.

Qu Yuan. c277BC. First great Chinese poet.

Quezon, Manuel. 1878-1944. First Philippine president 1935-.

Radzin, Treaty. 1681. Ends First Russo-Turkish war. Russia gains Ukraine.

Railways. 1795 England(horse-drawn). 1827 First US charter. 1827 Europe (St. Etienne-Andrézieux). 1869 US Central/Union Pacific. 1887 Canadian Pacific 1905 Trans-Siberian.

Rambouillet, Marquise de. 1588-1665. First Paris literary salon.

Ramiro I. First King of Aragon 1035-63. Took lands from brother and Moors.

Randolph, Peyton. 1721-75. American Revolutionary, first president of Continental Congress 1774.

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