Oldenburg. 1180 Independent. 1667 Denmark. 1773 Russia. 1777 Independent. 1834 Prussia. 1853 Zollverein. 1871 German Empire. 1919 Republic. 1945 West Germany.

Olmütz, Treaty. 1850. Restored German Confederation under Austria.

Olympias. c175-316BC. Wife of Philip of Macedonia. Mother of Alexander the Great.

Oman. 1508 Portugal discovers. 1659 Turkey. 1741 Said dynasty. Zanzibar.

Omar. 581-644. Second Moslem caliph. Invaded Syria, Egypt, Persia. Established taxation.

Omar Khayyam. c1027-1123. Persian mathematician/ poet: Rubaiyat. Specific gravity of gold 1061.

Omdurman, Battle. 1898. British defeat Mahdi, dominate Sudan.

Ommayyad. Umayyad.

Omri. -c872BC. King of Israel c884-. Established capital at Samaria.

O’Neill, Eugene. 1888-1953. US playwright: Iceman Cometh 1946. Long Day’s Journey into Night 1956.

Ontological Argument. God exists as the most perfect human conception.

Oppenheimer, Robert. 1904-67. US atomic scientist. Led Manhattan Project.

Ops. Roman goddess of harvest, fertility. = Rhea.

Oradour-sur-Glane. 1944. Germans kill residents, burn town. 10 survivors of 652.

Orcus. Roman god of underworld and dead. = Hades.

Orestes. -476. Roman general. Deposed Nepos for his son, Romulus Augustulus.

Orff, Carl. 1895-1982. Modern German composer. Straightforward. Carmina Burana 1936.

Orléans, Charles, duc d’. 1394-1465. Fought with Armagnacs vs Burgundians. Captured at Agincourt 1415. Ransomed 1440. Last courtly poet of France.

Orléans, Louis, duc d’. 1372-1407. Began Armagnac/Burgundy conflict. Assassinated by supporters of John the Fearless.

Orlov, Grigory, Count. 1734-83. Russian lover of Catherine II; led coup vs Peter III. Advocated liberating Christians from Ottoman rule.

Orpheus. Mythical Greek poet. Tamed animals with lyre. Music charmed underworld gods in bid to free wife.

Orsini. 12C-. Influential Roman family. Popes Celestine III, Nicholas III, Benedict XIII.

Ortega y Gasset, José. 1883-1955. Spanish philosopher: Terra de Nuestra Tiempo 1923. Revolt of the Masses 1929.

Orwell, George. 1903-50. English satirical novelist and social critic: Animal Farm 1945, 1984 1948.

Osama bin Laden. 1957-. Wahabi Saudi Arabian construction magnate turned terrorist. World Trade Center. Taliban. al-Qaeda.

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