Alfonso X (the Wise). 1221-84. King of León and Castile. Codified laws, first history of Spain.

Alfred the Great. 849-99. Saxon King of Wessex 871-. Resisted Danes 877-79 (Edington) + 892-96. Captured London 886. First British Navy 897.

Amundsen, Roald. 1872-1928. Norwegian explorer, first to South Pole, 1911; NW Passage, 1906.

Anaximander. c611-547BC. Miletan (Greek) philosopher. First Greek maps. Attempted systematic explanation of Universe. Named zodiac signs 560BC.

Andrássy, Gyula. 1823-90. Hungary’s first Prime Minister. Arranged Dual Alliance.

Annates. Proportion of first year’s income paid to Pope by office holders.

Antarctica. 1773 Cook explores seas. 1820 first sighted. Bransfield. 1821 first landing-Davis. 1911 Amundsen first to S Pole.

Anthony, St. 250-c355. Egyptian hermit, first Christian monk.

Antioch. 300BC Seleucus I founds. 64BC Rome. First reference to disciples as Christians c42. 540 Persia. 637 Moslem. 10-11C Syrian capital. 969 Byzantine. 1098 Crusader State. 1268 Egypt. 1517 Ottoman. 1920 Syria. 1939 Turkey.

Antophon. c480-411BC. Athenian. First prof. orator.

Apostles. 12 disciples of Jesus. Also, first missionary to a country.

Aqua Appia. 312BC. First Roman aquaduct.

Arcadius. 377-408. First Roman Emperor of East, 395-.

Aristarchus. 310-230BC. Samos. First to postulate sun as center of solar system. Accused of impiety. Copernicus.

Arjun. 1563-1606. Sikh guru, first martyr.

Armenian Church. c303. First Christian state church. 506 schism with Rome.

Armstrong, Neil. 1930-. US astronaut, first man on the moon, 22:56 EDT, July 20,1969.

Arriaga, Manuel. 1842-1917. First President of Portugal.

Articles of Confederation. 1781-9. First US Constitution.

Ascot. 1711. First Royal Meeting.

Ask. First man in Norse mythology. Embla.

Aspern-Essling, Battle. 1809. First important loss for Napoleon.

Astor, Nancy. 1879-1964. First woman to sit in British House of Commons, 1919-45.

Atatürk (Mustafa Kemal). 1881-1938. Turkish founder, first president, 1923. 1919-22 drove Greeks out. Major reforms to modernize Turkey.

Athelstan. 895-939. First king of all England 925-. Regulated Royal Mint 928.

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