Sparta. 9C BC-396. A dominant Greek city-state 6-4C BC. Peloponnesian War defeated rival Athens. 396 Visigoths destroy.

Spencer, Herbert. 1820-1903. English evolutionist philosopher. “Survival of the fittest.” Associationism. Anti-socialism, “Best government is the least government.” The Synthetic Philosophy 1860-96. Liberal Utilitarianism.

Spengler, Oswald. 1880-1936. German historian of cultural cycles: Decline of the West 1918-22.

Spenser, Edmund. 1552-99. English poet: Faerie Queen 1590. “The poet’s poet”.

Speusippus. -339BC. Led Athens Academy after Plato. First Encyclopedia.

Speyer, Diet. 1526,1529. Luther’s protest against the church’s intolerance of Reformers.

Sphynx. Greek mythical creature with lion’s body, human head. Killed who could not solve riddle. Earliest known 2550BC.

Spinoza, Baruch. 1632-77. Dutch Rationalist philosopher. Criticized scriptures. Excommunicated by Jews. God and nature are one. Determinist. Pantheist. God and Nature 1659. Ethics 1665.

Spiritualists, Greater World. 1931. Christian sect communicating with the dead.

Splendid Isolation. 1895-1902. Salisbury foreign policy. British naval strength required no ally.

SPQR Senatus Populusque Romanus. = The Senate and People of Rome.

Squanto. -1622. American Indian friend of Plymouth Pilgrims.

Sri Lanka. (Ceylon). Veddah. 5C BC Sinhalese from northern India settle. 1100 Tamil(N)/ Sinh(S). 1505 Portugal. 1656 Netherlands. 1796 British. 1948 Independent. 1972 = Sri Lanka.

St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. 1572. Catherine de Medici has 2000 Huguenots killed by Charles IX.

St Brice’s Day Massacre. 1002. Ethelred orders killing of Danes in England.

St-Denis Basilica. 1137-44. Romanesque-Gothic transformation point. Burial place of French kings. Suger.

St George’s Day Revolt. 1343-5. Estonian peasants vs Danes. North Estonia sold to Teutonic Knights.

St-Germain, Comte de. 1707-84. Won favour of Europe’s courts with “elixir of long life”.

St-Germain-des-Prés. Paris church. 990-1021 on the site of 542 monastery by Childebert.

St-Germain-L’Auxerrois. 13-15C. Church by Louvre gave signal for Massacre of St-Bartholomew.

St Helena. 1502 Portugal discovers. 1659 British. 1815-21 Napoleon exiled. 1922 + Ascension Is. 1938 + Tristan da Cunha.

St Helens, Mt. 1980. Eruption.

St Lawrence Seaway. Links Great Lakes with Atlantic shipping. 1952 Begun. 1959 Open.

St Médard Convulsionnaires. Believers in miraculous cures at St. Médard cemetery forbidden by Louis XV in 1732: “By Order of the King, Let God No Miracle Perform in this Place!”

St Paul’s. London Cathedral. 1287 Original. 1701 Wren finished.

500 more results ...