United Nations. UN. 1945. Charter signed by 50 nations at San Francisco. To safeguard world peace and protect human rights. Most countries members now. 15 agencies for education, relief. Trusteeship .

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.

Unkiar Skelessi, Treaty. 1833-41. Russia/Ottoman mutual defence alliance. Straits Convention.

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

Usury. Maximum interest rates: Rome 50BC: 12%, 529: 8%. Islam 622: 0%. Christian 1311: 0%. England: 1623 8%, 1651 6%, 1713 5%, 1854 eliminated. USA, by State: 5-45%

Uthman, ibn ’Affan. -656. Third Moslem caliph. Declared official version of Koran. Assassinated.

Utraquists. 15C. Moderate Bohemian Hussite sect; most re-absorbed by Roman Catholic Church 1620. Moravian Church.

Val-de-Grace. Paris. 1645-1667. Built by Anne of Austria to thank God for birth of Louis XIV after 23 childless years of marriage. Mansart.

Valdemar I. 1131-82. King of Denmark 1157-. Conquered Norway. Allied with Sweden, France, Holy Roman Empire.

Valens. 328-78. East Roman Emperor 364-. Killed at Adrianople.

Valentine, St. c270. 2 Christians martyred by Claudius II. Modern celebration derives from Roman Lupercalia fertility festival.

Valentinian III. 419-55. Roman Emperor 425-. Lost Africa to Vandals, Gaul to Huns.

Valla, Lorenzo. 1407-57. Italian Humanist scholar. Exposed Donation of Constantine, 1440.

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

Varna, Battles. 1444 Ottoman Turks defeat Hungarians, expand to Balkans. 1828 Russians defeat Turks.

Varro, Marcus. 116-27BC. Prolific Roman scholar, satirist. 600 books. “Know thyself”.

Vasari, Giorgio. 1511-74. Italian Mannerist painter, architect, writer. Coined term Renaissance. Painters Lives 1550. Uffizi Palace architect.

VE Day. May 7, 1945. Folowed German surrender signed May 7 in Reims.

Vedanta. Philosophy of Hinduism from 6C BC Upanishads. Developed by Sankara 7C and Ramanuja 11C.

Vehmgericht. 14-15C. German tribunals.

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.

Velleda. German druidess, prophet under Vespasian.

Venus. Roman goddess of love and beauty. =Aphrodite.

112 more results ...