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.

Leoncavello, Ruggero. 1857-1919. Italian opera composer. I Pagliacci 1892.

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.

Leopold II. 1747-92. Holy Roman Emperor 1790-. “Enlightened despot”. Liberal reforms. Declaration of Pillnitz for absolutism.

Leopold II. 1835-1909. King of Belgians 1865-. Ruled Congo ruthlessly.

Leopold III. 1901-83. King of Belgians 1934-51. German prisoner 1940-5. Abdicated.

Lépine, Louis. 1846-1933. French administrator, prefect of police. Contest of inventors.

Le Vau, Louis. 1612-70. Architect at Louvre, Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte.

Le Verrier, Urbain. 1811-77. French astronomer: predicted existence of Neptune by calculation, 1845.

Lepanto, Battle. 1571. Major Christian naval victory vs Turks, saving Cyprus.

Lepidus, Marcus. -13BC. Roman triumvir with Antony, Octavian 43-36BC. Failed revolt vs Octavian, 36BC.

Lepidus, Marcus. -c77BC. Roman consul. Opposed Sulla’s reforms, 78. Defeated by Pompey in Etruria.

Lermontov, Mikhail. 1814-41. Russian Romantic Caucasus poet: Hero of Our Time 1840. Exiled 1837-38,40.

Lerner, Alan. 1918-86. Lyricist. My Fair Lady. Camelot.

Lesage, Alain. 1668-1747. French picaresque novelist. Gil Blas 1715-35.

Lescot, Pierre. 1515-1578. Architect 1546 of current Louvre Palace.

Lese Majesty. Crime against state or its ruler. Treason.

Lesotho. Basutoland. c1800 Basotho kingdom. 1868 British. 1871 Cape Colony. 1884 British colony. 1966 Independent kingdom of Lesotho.

Lesseps, Ferdinand. 1805-94. French engineer. Suez Canal 1869. Corinth Canal. Designed and began Panama Canal 1881-89.

Lessing, Doris. 1919-. Iran./Rhodesian/British novelist. The Children of Violence 1964.

Lethe. Greek mythical river of forgetfulness in Hades.

Lettres de Cachet. 16C-1789. French royal warrants for arrest. Often political. Bastille.

Leucippus. -440BC. Greek philosopher. Atomism. “Nothing occurs at random”.

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

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