Leo I, St. 400-461. Pope 440-. Opposed Nestorianism, Manichaeism and other heresies.

Leo IX, St. 1002-54. Pope 1049-. Excommunicated Cerularius, causing East-West Schism.

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

Linnaeus, Carolus. 1707-78. Swedish botanist. Created Latin genus/species naming convention. Systema Naturae 1735. Philosophia Botanica 1751. Classified Homo Sapiens 1766.

Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. 722BC. Deported when Assyria invaded.

Lydia. -700BC Maeonia. 546BC Persia. 133 Rome. First coins 7C BC.

Maerlant, Jacob van. 1225-91. Flemish didactic poet. Spiegel Historiael 1282-91.

Maeterlinck, Maurice. 1862-1949. Belgian Symbolist poet/playwright. Pelléas et Mélisande 1892.

Magna Graecia. 8-6C BC. Greek colonies in S Italy. Cumae, Tarentum.

Mandaeanism. Persian Gnostic sect revering John the Baptist. Fertility worship.

Manichaeism. 240-6C. Dualist ascetic Persian religion founded by Mani (-274) combining Gnosticism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity. Man’s spirit is good, body is evil. Albigens, Cathars, Paulician.

Maurya Empire. c322BC-c185BC. Dominated most of India.

McCrae, John. 1872-1918. Canadian physician/poet. In Flanders Fields.

Megaera. Megaeia. Fury of jealousy.

Mehmed II. 1432-81. Ottoman sultan 1451~. Captured Constantinople 1453, ending Byzantine Empire. Conquered Anatolia, Greece, Aegean, most of Syria. Re-established Ottoman Empire.

Meir, Golda. 1898-1978. Israeli Labour Prime Minister 1969-74.

Messiaen, Olivier. 1908-92. Revolutionary French composer. Experimented with Indian music, bird song, complex rhythms, unusual instruments.

Mexican Revolution. 1910-24. Successive leaders overthrown. 1917 New Constitution. Diaz. Zapata. Villa.

Michael. 1596-1645. Russian czar 1613-. First of Romanov dynasty.

Michael. Christian/Jewish/Moslem archangel. Leads battle vs evil spirits.

Michael VIII. 1224-82. Byzantine Emperor 1259-. Won Constantinople from Latins. Founded Paleologus dynasty.

Michael the Brave. 1558-1601. Prince of Wallachia. United Romania 1600.

Midianites. Biblical tribe of Arabia. = Ishmaelites.

Millais, John. 1829-1896. British Pre-Raphaelite painter. Christ in the House of His Parents 1850.

Minos. Legendary King of Crete. Kept Minotaur, controlled Aegean islands.

132 more results ...