Ayer, Alfred. 1910-89. British Logical Positivist. Foundation of Empirical Knowledge. Language, Truth and Logic 1936.

Ayyubids. Sunni Caliphate dynasty in Egypt 1169-1250. Also in Yemen, Syria.

Azaña, Manuel. 1880-1940. Spanish Republican Prime Minister 31-33, President 36-9.

Baader-Meinhof Gang. (Red Army Faction). 1968-92. West German terrorists supported by Stasi.

Ba’al Shem-Tov. 1700-60. Polish founder of Hasidism. Holiness of ordinary existence.

Ba’ath. 1943-. Pan-Arab Socialist unity party.

Babbage, Charles. 1792-1871. British. Invented Difference Engine, 1823-34 -first computer. Founded British Association for the Advancement of Science 1831, Royal Astronomical Society 1820, Royal Statistical Society 1834.

Babel. Babylonian tower to heaven started by Noah’s sons.

Baber. 1483-1530. First Mogul Emperor of India.

Babeuf, François. 1760-97. French Socialist egalitarian revolutionary. “Conspiracy of Equals” vs Directory.

Babington, Anthony. 1561-86. English conspirator to murder Elizabeth I for Mary Queen of Scots. Beheaded.

Babism. 1844-50. Shi’ite mystical ascetic sect. Numerology. Number 19. Baha’ism.

Bach, Johann Sebastian. 1685-1750. German composer of fugues and chorales. Peak of polyphonic music. Brandenburg Concerto 1721. Well Tempered Clavier. Art of Fugue 1749.

Bacon, Francis. 1561-1626. English chancellor and philosopher. First king’s counsel. Favoured inductive over deductive reasoning. Separated Science from religion. New Atlantis 1625. B. Scientific method: Novum Organum 1620. Essays 1625.

Bacon, Roger. 1214-94. English Franciscan monk. Advocated scientific experiment, observation. Alchemist. Formulated gunpowder. Magnifying glass 1250. Opus Majus 1266.Telescope.

Bacon’s Rebellion. 1676. Virginia colonists under N.Bacon defeat Indians, take Jamestown.

Bactria. c1500BC Aryan. 545BC Persia. 328BC Alexander. 256BC-140 Graeco-Bactria. Badakhshan. 7C Moslem. 1220 Genghis Khan. Now Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan.

Baden-Powell, Robert. 1857-1941. English General, founded Boy Scouts 1908; Girl Guides with sister Agnes, 1910.

Badoglio, Pietro. 1871-1956. Italian. Conquered Ethiopia 1936. Arranged 1943 armistice. Prime Minister 1943-44.

Badr, Battle. 624. Muhammad’s first military victory. Defeats Umayyad caravan.

Baekeland, Leo. 1863-1944. US: invented Bakelite 1909 (first plastic). Velox.

Baer, Karl. 1792-1876. Estonian/German naturalist: founded science of embryology. Discovered ovum 1827.

Baffin, William. 1584-1622. British explorer of Baffin Strait 1616.

Bagehot, Walter. 1826-77. English social scientist/ essayist. The English Constitution 1867. Physics and Politics 1872. Lombard St. 1873.

Bahamas. Arawak. 1492 Columbus. 1646 English colonize. 1782-3 Spain. 1973 Independent.

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