Pilâtre de Rosier, Jean-François. 1756-85. Physician and balloonist. First ascent 1783 with Montgolfier; First free flight 1783 with d’Arlandes. Killed trying to cross Channel.

Pinzon, Vicente. c1460-1523. Discovered Amazon 1500. Commanded Columbus’ Nina 1492,3.

Pléiade, La. 16C. French Renaissance poets, aimed to enrich French language. Ronsard, Bellay, Belleau, Jodelle, Dorat, Baïf, Tyard.

Pluto. Greek underworld king = Hades = Orcus = Pater Dis. Planet discovered by Tombaugh, 1930. Disney dog named after planet, 1931.

Pollaiuolo, Antonio del. 1431/2-98. Florentine bronze sculptor, painter. Pioneered dissection in anatomy. Hercules and Antaeus 1470s. Martyrdom of St. Sebastian 1475.

Pompadour, Mme de. 1721-64. Louis XV’s intelligent, beautiful mistress. Built École Militaire. Sponsored Petit Trianon, Place de la Concorde.

Pompeii. Destroyed 79 by Vesuvius eruption. Rediscovered 1592.

Pont Notre-Dame. Originally the Great Bridge in Roman Paris. Rebuilt in 1413 by Normans. First numbered houses in Paris.

Pontus. 3C-66BC. Asia Minor kingdom conquered by Rome.

Pope. Head of Roman Catholic Church, Bishop of Rome. Considered the infallible vicar of Christ.

Porter, David. 1780-1843. US. Captured first British warship of 1812 war.

Porter, Edwin. 1869/70-1941. US filmmaker. First dramatic editing -Great Train Robbery 1903; First US documentary -The Life of an American Fireman 1903.

Potsdam Agreement. 1945. Truman, Stalin, Attlee agree to draw up peace treaties, reduce German industrialization, restore democracy in Europe after WWII. Outlawed Nazism. Divided Germany.

Predestination. Christian doctrine that God has pre-ordained who will be saved. Calvinism.

Prime Minister. =Premier. Head of parliamentary government under the head of state (monarch or president). Walpole (1721-42) considered first British Prime Minister. Richelieu 1624 France. Chancellor.

Prophet. Old Testament Hebrew spiritual leader, divinely inspired spokesperson. Muhammad, Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jesus.

Provençale. Southern French dialect of Occitan. Mistral.

Quetzalcóatl. Aztec, Coltec god symbolized by feathered serpent. Legendary founder of Chichen Itza. Also applied as a title equivalent to saint.

Rahman, Mujibur. 1920-75. Bangladesh Awami Leader. Prime Minister 1972-, President 1974-. Murdered in coup.

Ramsay, William. 1852-1916. English chemist: discovered helium 1895; neon, krypton, xenon 1898.

Rasputin, Grigori. 1872-1916. Russian adventurer, mystic. Influential in court of Nicholas II, 1906-. Murdered.

Ravaillac, Francois. 1578-1610. Assassin of Henry IV. Quartered.

Red Brigade. 1970-84. Italian left-wing terrorist group. Moro.

Red Guards. 1966-69. Paramilitary student units during Chinese Cultural Revolution.

Red Hat Rebellion. 1622. Power struggle of Tibetan Buddhists. Yellow Hats prevail.

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