Matterhorn. 14,691 ft. First climbed in 1865 by Whymper.

Matthias. 1557-1619. Holy Roman Emperor 1612-. Catholic Revival led to Thirty Years War.

Mausolus. Persian Satrap c377-353BC. Tomb at Halicarnassus was one of Seven Wonders.

Maxim, HiramPercy. 1869-1936. US inventor. Powered tricycle 1895. Columbia automobile. Gun silencer. ARRL 1914.

Maximilian. 1832-67. Austrian archduke, Emperor of Mexico 1864-7. Francis-Joseph’s brother.

McCormick, Cyrus. 1809-84. US inventor of reaper 1834. Founded International Harvester.

Melba, Nellie. 1861-1931. Australian operatic soprano.

Mendeleyev, Dmitri. 1834-1907. Russian chemist: periodic classification of the elements 1869.

Menes. c3100BC. Egyptian king. United Upper and Lower Egypt.

Merritt, William. 1793-1862. Upper Canada trade promoter. Welland Canal 1824-9.

Mesopotamia. 5000BC. Tigris-Euphrates river plain where civilization began. 550BC Persia. 331BC Alexander. 115 Rome. 637 Moslem. 13C Mongol. 1534 Ottoman. Babylon. Akkad. Ur. Iraq.

Messiaen, Olivier. 1908-92. Revolutionary French composer. Experimented with Indian music, bird song, complex rhythms, unusual instruments.

Metéora. Built 12C-1458. Greece. Monasteries perched on 1000’ pinnacles and crags.

Mexican War. 1846-8. US acquires western territory (5 states). Guadalupe-Hidalgo. 1861-4. Napoleon III conquers Mexico, installs Emperor Maximilian.

Meyer, Lothair. 1830-95. Periodic structure 1870, indepently. Mendeleyev.

Meyerbeer, Giacomo. 1791-1864. German operatic composer of French opera. Les Huguenots 1836.

Michael VIII. 1224-82. Byzantine Emperor 1259-. Won Constantinople from Latins. Founded Paleologus dynasty.

Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig. 1886-1969. German/US Bauhaus architect. Glass and steel. Glass Skyscraper 1921. -“less is more”.

Mikado. 660BC-. Title of Japanese Emperor.

Mithraism. 5C BC-4C. Persian worship of Mithra, sun god of wisdom. Influenced Christianity. Adopted by Romans in Britain. Bull sacrifice.

Mohammed. Persian equivalent of Muhammad.

Mohicans. -17C. North American Indian tribe dispersed by war.

Momus. Greek personification of ridicule, humiliation.

Monasticism. Seeking of spiritual perfection by living apart from society.

Mongol Empire. Asia. Established 1207 by Genghis Khan. Peak included Persia, China, Russia. 1260- Fragmented. Yuan. Golden Horde. Tamerlane.

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