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.

Valéry, Paul. 1871-1945. French poet. La Jeune Parque 1917.

Valkyries. Sisters of Odin, choosers of the doomed in battle.

Vallee, Rudy. 1901-86. US. First pop music star.

Valley Forge. 1777-8. Training camp of Washington’s Continental Army.

Valmy, Battle. 1792. French revolutionaries defeat Austria-Prussia invasion.

Van Buren, Martin. 1782-1862. US president 1837-41. Independent treasury, US neutrality. Barnburner. Called “Little Magician” for his political dexterity.

Van de Graaff, Robert. 1901-67. US physicist. Particle accelerator 1929. High voltage generator 1932.

Van Dyck, Anthony. 1599-1641. Flemish portrait painter. Subjects showed dignity, elegance. Charles I 1635.

Van Gogh, Vincent. 1853-90. Dutch expressionist painter. Passionate intensity revealed in colors. Sunflowers. Potato Eaters 1885. Starry Night 1889. Wheat Fields. Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear 1889.

Vanbrugh, John. 1664-1726. English Restoration dramatist, Baroque architect: Castle Howard 1702. Blenheim Palace 1705.

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

Varèse, Edgard. 1883-1965. French composer of dissonant electronic music. Hyperprism 1923.

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

Vasa. 1523-1818. Swedish dynasty. Ruled Poland 1587-1668. Dominated 17C Baltic.

Veblen, Thorstein. 1857-1929. US sociologist. Theory of the Leisure Class 1899-“conspicuous consumption”.

Veche. 10C-1510. Russian democratic city council abolished by Mongols.

Velleda. German druidess, prophet under Vespasian.

Vendôme Column. Paris. 1805. Has had statues of Napoleon as Caesar, Henry IV, a Fleur-de-lys, Napoleon in uniform, and now a copy of the original.

Venezuela. Carib, Caraca, Teque. 1498 Columbus discovers. 1523 Spain settles. 1811 Independence declared. 1821 «Gran Colombia. 1829 Independent republic.

Verdi, Giusseppe. 1813-1901. Italian Nationalist operatic composer. Otello. Rigoletto 1851. Traviata 1853. Aida 1871.

Verdun. 1916. Battle in which French repulsed the Germans. 750,000 casualties.

Vergennes, Charles, Compte de. 1719-87. French foreign minister. Allied with American revolutionaries. Treaty of Paris 1783.

Vermeer, Jan. 1632-75. Dutch painter, portraying domestic interiors. Procuress 1656. Soldier and Laughing Girl. Letter 1660.

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