Category: Biography
William III William III, known as William of Orange (1650-1702). King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 and prince of Orange. He was governor of the Netherlands from …
William I William I, known as William the Conqueror (c. 1028-87). King of England. The illegitimate son of Robert I, duke of Normandy, he effectively ruled Normandy from about …
Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (1859-1941). German kaiser (emperor) and king of Prussia. He was one of Queen Victoria’s grand children and had a deep conviction that he ruled by …
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde, (1854-1900). Irish dramatist, essayist, and poet. After a brilliant academic career in Dublin and Oxford, a lecture tour of the US confirmed his reputation as …
William Wilberforce William Wilberforce, (1759-1833). British politician and reformer. He was a close friend of William Pitt the Younger, a fellow student at Cambridge, and they both .entered Parliament …
Sir Frank Whittle Sir Frank Whittle, (1907— ). British aeronautical engineer and RAF officer. He invented the first British jet propulsion unit, which was fitted to the specially constructed …
Walt Whitman Walt Whitman, (1819-92). US poet and essayist. He left school at 11 and had a number of jobs, including printing and teaching. The poetry collection Leaves of …
Patrick White Patrick White, (1912-90). Australian novelist and writer. White was brought up on his father’s sheep farm in Australia but educated mainly in England. After graduating from Cambridge …
