Albania. Balkans. 3-5C Visigoth, Huns invade. 6-7C Bulgars, Serbs, Slavs invade.12-15C Bulgar, Norman, Angevin, Serb, Venice contest.15C Ottoman. 1912 Independent republic. 1928 Monarchy (Zog). 1939 Italy occupies. 1945 Communist (Hoxha). 1961 Left Warsaw Pact. 1991 Democratic Constitution.

Albee, Edward. 1928-. US playwright. Pulitzer-Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1962.

Albeniz, Isaac. 1860-1909. Spanish piano composer: Iberia.

Alberoni, Giulio. 1664-1752. Acting Prime Minister, directed Spanish revival 1716-19.

Albert, Prince Consort. 1819-1861. Married Queen Victoria, 1840. Responsible for International exhibitions 1851, 62. Moderated Trent Affair.

Albert I. 1848-1922. Prince of Monaco.

Albert I. 1875-1932. King of Belgians, 1909. Led army WWI. Introduced universal male suffrage.

Albert of Brandenburg. 1490-1568. First Duke of Prussia, 1525. Ended Teutonic Knights’ rule.

Alberti, Leon. 1404-72. Italian Renaissance Man. Artist, poet, geographer, mathematician.

Albertus Magnus, St. c1200-80. Swabian Dominican philosopher influenced Aquinas: independent observation of nature. Alchemist.

Albigenses. (Cathars). Southern French ascetic Neo-Manichean heretic Christian sect. Eliminated by 13th Crusade, 1208-1229 and Inquisition.

Albion. Ancient Greek, Roman name for Great Britain, probably from Gaelic.

Alboin. -572. Germanic Lombard King. Allied Germanic tribes and conquered N Italy.

Albornoz, Gil de. 1310-67. Restored papal authority, ending Babylonian Captivity.

Albuquerque, Afonso de. 1453-1515. Portuguese conquistador. Expanded empire.

Alcaçovas, Treaty. 1479. Portugal renounces claim to Castile.

Alcalá Zamora, Niceto. 1877-1949. President, Spanish Republic, 1931-6. Died in exile.

Alcamenes. c440BC. Greek sculptor; delicacy and finish.

Alcazar. 14-15C Moorish fortresses in Spain. Seville 1364. Toledo, Segovia.

Alchemy. Magic art of Egyptian origin attempting to transmute metals, esp lead to gold. Based on belief that all metals are a pure base metal + impurities which the philosopher’s stone can remove.

Alcibiades. c450-404BC. Athenian egoist general, Peloponnesian War. Murdered.

Alcmaeonidae. 7-5C BC. Prominent Athenian family. Pericles.

Alcock, John. 1892-1919. First non-stop transatlantic flight, 1919, with Brown.

Alcott, Louisa May. 1832-88. US novelist: Little Women 1869.

Alcuin. c735-804. English Counselor to Charlemagne. Set up monastic education system in Europe.

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