Banville, Théodore de. 1823-91. French Parnassian poet. Early Symbolist. Odes funambulesques 1857.

Batista, Fulgencio. 1901-73. Authoritarian Cuban right-wing dictator 1933-4, 52-8. Toppled by Castro.

Bay of Pigs. 1961. CIA-financed Cuban invasion by exiles fails. Cuban Missile Crisis.

Beirut. 20C BC Phoenicia. 15BC Rome. 635 Moslem. 1110 Crusaders. 1187 Saladin. 1516 Ottoman. 1291 Mameluk. 1920 Capital of Lebanon. 1975-90 Lebanese Civil War.

Bengal. 8C Pala emp. 11C Hindu. 13C Turk. 1576 Mogul. 1757 Britain. 1947 India(W)/Pakistan(E). 1971 E =Bangladesh.

Berg, Alban. 1885-1935. Austrian opera composer. Adopted 12-note method. Atonal-tonal fusion. Wozzeck 1925.

Best, Charles. 1899-1978. Canadian. insulin discoverer. Banting.

Big Bang. 15 billion BCE. Scientifically accepted origin of Universe.

Biological Weapons Convention. 1972. Britain, US, USSR agreement to ban germ warfare.

Bluebeard. 6C- legend of murderous husband.

Boulanger, Georges. 1837-91. French popular war minister. Conspired coup 1889. Banished.

Brabant Revolution. 1789-90. Belgians vs Hapsburgs. Crushed by Austrian forces.

Bretton Woods. 1944. Economic conference. Created International Monetary Fund, World Bank.

Bruce, Robert the. 1274-1329. Scottish King 1306-. Vs Edward I and II. Bannockburn victory.

Bushrangers. 19C Australian bandits in outback. Kelly.

Calles, Plutarco. 1877-1945. Mexican President. Banned RC church 1924-9.

Canterbury Christmas. 1647. Parliament bans Christmas celebration.

Cape of Good Hope. Bantu. 1652 Dutch. 1814 British Cape Colony. 1910 Province, South Africa.

Cartouche. 1693-1721. Chief of a band of thieves in Paris 1717-.

Castro, Fidel. 1926-. Cuban lawyer. Cuban Revolution. Dictator 1959-.

Catherine II, the Great. 1729-96. Autocratic Empress of Russia, 1762-. Overthrew husband, Peter III. Annexed Crimea, Polish territory.

Chase, Salmon. 1808-73. US. Founded Republican Party. National banking system.

Chess. 7C Indian game evolved from earlier board games with carved pieces. 750 China. 10C Moslems brought to Europe. 1254 banned by Louis IX.

Chinese Civil War. 184 Yellow Turban Rebellion. 1622- Red Hat Rebellion. 1946-9 Communists rebel vs Kuomintang. People’s Republic established.

Chinese Exclusion Acts. 1882-1943. Banned Chinese immigration to US. Asian 1924-.

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