Leonardo da Vinci. 1452-1519. Florentine painter, writer, sculptor, scientist. Prototypical Renaissance Man. Sfumato. Laws of Flight. Adoration of Magi 1479. Last Supper 1495. Mona Lisa 1503. Parachute 1480.

Leonidas. King of Sparta. Killed resisting Persians at Thermopylae, 480BC.

Leopold and Loeb. 1924. Wealthy, intellectual partners ‘perfect’ murder of Bobby Franks leads to life imprisonment. Darrow plea avoids execution.

Leuctra, Battle. 371BC. Thebes defeats Sparta, signalling decline.

Levellers. 1645-50. English Civil War republican democratic party. Sought religious, political equality and end to monarchy.

Liberal Party. 1832. British Social reform, free trade, Irish Home Rule. 1867 Canada. 1944 Australia.

Liberty Party. 1839-48. US anti-slavery party. Merged into Free-Soil party.

Libraries. 1700BC Chaldean. 540BC Athens. 284BC Alexandria. 167 Rome. 355 Constantinople. 1446 Vatican. 1520 Paris. 1757 British Museum. 1598 Oxford Bodleian. 1653 Manchester, First free public. 1800 US Library of Congress.

Liebknecht, Wilhelm. 1826-1900. German Socialist. Founded Social Democratic Labour Party, 1869.

Ligurian Republic. 1797-99, 1801-5. Genoese state formed by Napoleon.

Lloyd George, David. 1863-1945. British Liberal Prime Minister,1916-22. Unemployment insurance. Irish Free State. War cabinet, 1916.

Locke, John. 1632-1704. English philosopher. Empiricism-all knowledge is derived from experience: On Civil Government 1689. Essay Concerning Human Understanding 1690. ‘Sound mind in a sound body’. Evil brings pain, Good brings pleasure. Advocated separation of legislature from executive, as applied in Britain and US. Natural rights (property, pursuit of happiness, religion) influenced US Constitution, led to Enlightenment. Philosophical basis of French and American Revolutions. Epistemological foundations of modern Science.

Locofoco Party. 1835-8. US anti-monopoly Democratic Party faction.

Lodi, Battle. 1796. Napoleon defeats Austria in Italy.

Loewe, Frederick. 1904-88. US composer; partner of Lerner.

London Pact. 1914. Britain France Russia agree to no separate peace with Central Powers.

Long Parliament. 1640-60. Civil War parliament. Ended Charles I attempt to govern without one.

Louis XVIII. 1755-1824. Bourbon. Restored to French throne by Allies 1814-. Advisory Parliament. Ultraloyalists.

Louisiana Purchase. 1803. Napoleon sells Louisiana to US for $27M to finance defence budget.

Lowell, Percival. 1855-1916. US astronomer. Predicted Pluto 1905 (erroneously). PL of Pluto name after him. Studied Mars’ “canals” 1906. Schiaparelli.

Lutetia. Original name for Ile de la Cité, Paris, when settled in 250BC.

Luxemburg, Rosa. 1871-1919. German revolutionary theoritician, agitator. Founded Spartacus Party.

Lycurgus. 9C BC. Totalitarian Spartan reformer. Created militaristic society.

Lysander. -395BC. Spartan admiral. Captured Athens 404BC. Ended Peloponnesian War.

MacBride, Seán. 1904-88. Irish statesman. Founded Republican Party 1946. Foreign minister 1948-1951. Founder, chairman 1961-75 Amnesty International. Assistant UN Secretary General.

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