Blandine, St. Martyr at Lyon, 177.

Blanqui, Louis. 1805-81. French militant socialist. Coined: “Dictatorship of the Proletariat”, “Industrial Revolution”, 1837. Unsuccessful uprising 1839. Commune leader. Secret societies.

Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider). 1911-14. Organization of Abstract Expressionist artists. Kandinsky. Klee.

Blavatsky, Helena. 1831-91. Founded Theosophical Society, 1875.

Bleeding Kansas. 1854-59. Antislavery vs Slavery advocates for control of Kansas. Wyandotte Constitution.

Blenheim, Battle. 1704. Bavaria. Marlborough’s victory in War of Spanish Succession. First French defeat in 50 years, saves Vienna.

Blériot, Louis. 1872-1936. French aviator. First plane to cross Channel, 1909.

Blest Gana. 1830-1920. Chilean novelist. Arithmetic of Love 1862.

Bligh, William. 1754-1817. English captain of Bounty. Discovered breadfruit.

Bliss, Arthur. 1891-1975. English subjective composer. Colour Symphony 1922.

Blitz. 1940-41. Popular name for Battle of Britain.

Blitzkrieg. 1938-45. German battle tactic. Rapid, deep assault with tanks supported from air.

Bloch, Ernest. 1880-1959. Swiss/US neoclassical composer. Jewish themes. America 1926.

Blockade. Naval strategy preventing access to an enemy’s coast.

Blondin, Charles. 1824-97. French tightrope walker over Niagara, 1859.

Blood, Thomas. 1628-80. Attempted to steal British crown jewels 1671.

Blood Purge. 1934. Hitler’s murder of 74 Nazi radicals.

Bloody Assizes. 1685. Trial of Monmouth’s rebels. 320 hung. 800 deported.

Bloody Sunday. 1887. Police kill 2 Socialists in Trafalgar Square Riot. 1905. Slaughter of petitioners to Winter Palace of Nicholas II leads to Russian Revolution. 1972. 13 killed in Londonderry riot.

Bloody Week. 1871. Paris Commune toppled. 20,000 dead.

Bloomer, Amelia. 1818-94. US temperance, women’s rights activist. Wore bloomers.

Bloomsbury Group. 1907-30. Agnostic English intellectuals searching for good, true, beautiful. Forster, Woolf, Keynes, Russell, Huxley, et.al.

Blow, John. 1649-1708. Westminster organist. First English opera, Venus and Adonis 1685.

Blücher, Gebhardt von. 1742-1819. Prussian general at Waterloo.

Blue Laws. US laws that control Sunday activities. 1781 originals on blue paper.

8242 more results ...