United States of America. USA. 40,000-20,000BC Asians settle. 1492-1776 Spain, Portugal, France, Netherlands, Britain colonize. 1776 American Revolution. 1783 Thirteen Colonies independent. Manifest Destiny. 1845 +Texas. 1848 +California. 1867 +Alaska. 1898 +Hawaii, Puerto Rico.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 1948. United Nations list of rights to be accorded people by their governments. Rejected by USSR, China, Poland, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, many Moslem countries. Signed by Russia, 1996.

Updike, John. 1932-2009. US writer. Rabbit Run 1960. The Centaur 1963.

Uranus. Early Greek personification of the heavens. Father of Titans.

Ursulines. 1535. Roman Catholic order founded by Angela Merci for the education of women.

Ussher, James. 1581-1656. Irish theologian. Calculated the Creation as 4004BC according to Bible.

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

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

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.

Valkyries. Sisters of Odin, choosers of the doomed in battle.

Vandals. Germans fleeing Huns, invaded Gaul, Spain 409 and Africa 429-534. Sacked Rome 455. Arians, persecuted other Christians. Routed by Byzantines 533.

Veblen, Thorstein. 1857-1929. US sociologist. Theory of the Leisure Class 1899-“conspicuous consumption”.

Vega Carpio, Lope Felix de. 1562-1635. “Father” of Spanish drama. 1800 plays. Italian form to Spanish poetry.

Velázquez, Diego. 1599-1660. Spanish Naturalist court painter. Old Woman Frying Eggs 1618. Coronation of the Virgin 1641. Philip IV 1644. Surrender of Breda. Borrachos. Venus and Mirror 1655.

Velikovsky, Immanuel. 1895-1979. Russian/US writer of controversial scientific theories. Worlds in Collision 1950.

Vendôme Column. Paris. 1805. Has had statues of Napoleon as Caesar, Henry IV, a Fleur-de-lys, Napoleon in uniform, and now a copy of the original.

Verdun. 1916. Battle in which French repulsed the Germans. 750,000 casualties.

Verne, Jules. 1828-1905. French Science Fiction fantasy writer. Voyage to the Centre of the Earth 864. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1870. Round the World in 80 Days 1873.

Verwoerd, Hendrik. 1901-66. South African Prime Minister 1958-66. Apartheid. Left Commonwealth 1961. Assassinated.

Vestal Virgins. Chaste Roman guardians of Temple to Vesta, goddess of the hearth.

Viau, Théophile. 1590-1626. French pre-Classical poet, dramatist. Pyramus and Thisbe 1623.

Vichy. Seat of Pétain’s pro-German government, 1940-44 in unoccupied southern France. Source of waters famous since Roman times.

Vienna, Congress. 1814-15. Redrew map of Europe after Napoleon. Prussia gains Rhine, Westphalia. Swiss borders and neutrality confirmed. Netherlands created from Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg. Malta and Cape Colony ceded to Britain. Russia gets Poland. Austria trades Netherlands for north Italy. France reduced to 1792 borders. Metternich.

Viète, François. 1540-1603. French mathematician, algebraic notation. Equation theory.

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