Ugolino della Gherardesca. -1289. Italian Guelf noble. Executed by starvation for treason.

Ukraine. 3C Ostrogoths. Rus. 1240 Golden Horde. 1392 Lithuania. 1569 Poland. 1648 Independent Cossack state. 1654 Muscovy protectorate. 1772 Russia. 1918 Independent. 1923 USSR. 1991 Independent. CIS.

Umberto I. 1844-1900. 2nd king of Italy 1878-. Assassinated by anarchists.

Uncle Sam. Personification of US government first appeared in Troy Post based on “Uncle” Sam Wilson who supplied army beef stamped US 1813.

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. USSR. 1917 Communist revolution, Civil War. 1923 Union of states. 1939 +Galicia. 1940 +Baltic States, Bessarabia, Karelia. 1945 +Ruthenia. Recognized: 1923 US, 1924 Britain, 1940 Yugoslavia. 1991 Dissolved. Russia.

United Nations. UN. 1945. Charter signed by 50 nations at San Francisco. To safeguard world peace and protect human rights. Most countries members now. 15 agencies for education, relief. Trusteeship .

United States of America. USA. 40,000-20,000BC Asians settle. 1492-1776 Spain, Portugal, France, Netherlands, Britain colonize. 1776 American Revolution. 1783 Thirteen Colonies independent. Manifest Destiny. 1845 +Texas. 1848 +California. 1867 +Alaska. 1898 +Hawaii, Puerto Rico.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 1948. United Nations list of rights to be accorded people by their governments. Rejected by USSR, China, Poland, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, many Moslem countries. Signed by Russia, 1996.

Universities. 968 Cordova. 9C Salerno. 1116 Bologna. 12C Oxford. 1209 Cambridge. 1215 Paris. 1636 Harvard.

Urartu. 13-7C BC Kingdom in eastern Turkey. Conquered by Sargon. c600BC Armenians.

Urban II. 1035-95. Pope 1088-. Forbade clergy to pay homage to temporal powers. Crusades.

Urquiza, Justo de. 1801-70. Overthrew dictator, de Rosas. Argentine Confederation president 1854-60.

Usury. Maximum interest rates: Rome 50BC: 12%, 529: 8%. Islam 622: 0%. Christian 1311: 0%. England: 1623 8%, 1651 6%, 1713 5%, 1854 eliminated. USA, by State: 5-45%

Uthman, ibn ’Affan. -656. Third Moslem caliph. Declared official version of Koran. Assassinated.

Utrillo, Maurice. 1883-1955. Montmartre painter. Sacre Coeur 1937. White Period 1908-14.

Val-de-Grace. Paris. 1645-1667. Built by Anne of Austria to thank God for birth of Louis XIV after 23 childless years of marriage. Mansart.

Valdivia, Pedro de. 1498-1554. Spanish conqueror of Chile, 1450. Founded Santiago.

Valmy. Last French navy sailing ship.

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

Varro, Marcus. 116-27BC. Prolific Roman scholar, satirist. 600 books. “Know thyself”.

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

Vasa. 1628. Swedish warship sank in harbour before maiden voyage.

Vasarely, Victor. 1908-97. Hungarian/French Op art kinetic painter.

Vasari, Giorgio. 1511-74. Italian Mannerist painter, architect, writer. Coined term Renaissance. Painters Lives 1550. Uffizi Palace architect.

Vassal. Feudal holder of a fief in exchange for services.

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