Siam. Thailand.

Sibelius, Jan. 1865-1957. Finnish composer. Finlandia. Symphonies and tone poems evoke feeling of North. Kulervo Symphony 1892.

Siberia. 13C Mongol(S)...Golden Horde(W)/ Yüan(E). 1483 Russia explores. 1581 Khanate overthrown. 1689 Russo-Chinese border settled. 1891-1905 Trans-Siberian Railway.

Siegfried. Dragon slayer of German legend.

Sienkiewicz, Henryk. 1846-1916. Polish novelist: Slowo Trilogy 1883-88. Quo Vadis 1896.

Sierra Leone. 1462 Portugal discovers. 16C Slave source. 1786 British freed slave colony. 1788 British Crown Colony. 1961 Independent.

Sieyès, Joseph. 1748-1836. French abbé. What is the Third Estate? called for democracy 1789. Drafted Declaration of the Rights of Man. Helped organize Napoleon’s coup.

Sighs, Bridge of. c1600. Venice. Connects Doge Palace court to prison.

Sigismund I. The Old. 1467-1548. King of Poland 1506-. Acquired Prussia 1525.

Sigismund III. Vasa. 1566-1632. King of Poland 1587-, Sweden 1592-99. Captured Moscow 1610-12.

Sigurdsson, Jon. 1811-79. Icelandic statesman. Led self-government movement.

Sikorski, Wladyslaw. 1881-1943. Polish general, Prime Minister. Headed WWII government in exile.

Silas, St. Christian missionary with St Paul.

Silesia. c300BC Vandal. c4C Slav. 11C Polish. 1163 Divided. 13C German colony/Tatars invade. 1335 Bohemia. 15C Divided. 1526 Hapsburg. 1675 Bohemia. 1694 Austria. 1742 Prussia. 1921 Czechoslovakia/Poland/Germany. 1938/9 German. 1945 Poland/GDR.

Silla, Kingdom. 57BC-935. Korea, united peninsula 668.

Sillitoe, Alan. 1928-. English writer of working class life. Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner 1959.

Siloé, Diego de. c1495-1563. Spanish Renaissance sculptor, Plateresque architect. Granada Cathedral.

Simeon, St. c390-459. Syrian ascetic hermit. Spent 30 years on top of a pillar.

Simeon II. 1937-. Last czar of Bulgaria 1943-6. 1946-96 Exiled. 1998 Properties returned.

Simnel, Lambert. c1475-1535 Pretender to English throne 1487.

Simony. Trading in church offices, sacred objects. Banned by Council of Chalcedon 451, and in England since Edward VI.

Sin. Violation of divine law.

Sinclair, Upton. 1878-1968. US novelist, Muckraker. Jungle 1906.

Singapore. 13-14C Malay city. 1377 Javanese destroy. 1819 Raffles refounds. 1867 «Straits Settlements. 1942-45 Japanese occupy. 1946 British Crown Colony. 1963 Federation of Malaysia. 1965 Independent republic.

Sinn Fein. 1905. (=Ourselves Alone). Irish Nationalist movement. 1916 uprising. Founded Irish Free State. Legalized as political party in Northern Ireland, 1974. Political wing of IRA. De Valera.

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