Collins, Michael. 1890-1922. Led Easter Rebellion. First Prime Minister of Irish Free State 1922. Assassinated by extremists.

Collins, Wilkie. 1824-89. First British detective novel writer. Woman in White 1860. No Name 1862.

Columbia. US 1981. First reusable spacecraft.

Comenius, John. 1592-1670. Czech founder of direct method of language education. First use of pictures.

Conrad I. -918. First non-Carolingian king of Germany 911-.

Conscription. 1793. Carnot devised first compulsory military service for France. Used in Egypt’s Old Kingdom.

Cook, Thomas. 1808-92. English. First modern conducted tours, 1841.

Cosmological Argument. God exists as first cause.

Craig, James. 1871-1940. First Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, 1921-.

Cranmer, Thomas. 1489-1556. First Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury. Executed by Queen Mary.

Crassus, Marcus. c115-53BC. First Roman triumvirate member. Suppressed Spartacus’ slave revolt.

Crete, Battle. 1941. First German airborne invasion.

Cricket. 1598 derived from Club ball. 1877 First Test Match Australia/England.

Cristofori, Bartolomeo. 1655-1731. First piano, c1710.

Cro-Magnon Man. 30,000BC-. First Homo Sapiens.

Cross, Richard. 1823-1914. British statesman: First urban renewal act.

Crusades. 1095-1272. European Christian wars to regain Holy Land after Seljuk Turks take Jerusalem in 1072. Literature and the arts benefitted from Eastern cultural infusion. Peasants 1096. Annihilated. First. 1096-99. Genoa financed Godfrey of Bouillon to recapture Jerusalem. Only successful crusade. Second. 1147-49. Louis VII and Conrad III pillage Byzantium. Third. 1189-92. Richard I and Philip II Truce with Saladin allows access to Jerusalem. Fourth. 1202-4. French and Flemish nobles conquer, sack Constantinople, form Latin Empire. Childrens. 1212. Stephen of Cloyes led 30,000 unarmed French youths. Nicholas of Cologne led 20,000 German. All died or enslaved. Fifth. 1218-21. John of Brienne in Egypt. Sixth. 1228-29. Frederick II crowned king of Jerusalem. Seventh. 1248-54. St Louis of France captured by Egypt and ransomed. Eighth. 1270. St Louis dies of plague. Ninth. 1271-2. Prince Edward of England.

Crystal Palace. 1851. Built for the Great Exhibition, London. First iron-framed. Burned, 1936. Paxton.

Cugnot, Joseph. 1725-1804. French engineer. First steam car, 1769.

Cunard, Samuel. 1787-1865. Canadian. First regular steamship line.

Cuza, Alexandru. 1820-73. First Prince of Romania, 1859-66. Freed serfs. Educational reform.

Dalhousie, First Marquess. 1812-60. British Governor General of India 1847-56. Annexed Punjab, 1849, Rangoon, Burma. Built railway, telegraph. Lapse doctrine caused Indian Mutiny.

Dampier, William. 1651-1715. First English scientific explorer. Pirate, 1678-91. New Voyage Round the World, 1697.

Dante Alighieri. 1265-1321. Italian moralist poet. First vernacular. Banquet 1306. Divine Comedy 1321, printed 1472.

Daye, Stephen. 1594-1668. First printing press in American colonies 1639.

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