Category: Biography
Francois Villon Francois Villon, (1431-c. 63). French poet. In 1455 he killed a man, possibly in self-defence, and had to flee from Paris for a while. The following year …
Gore Vidal Gore Vidal, (1925— ). US novelist and writer. The son of a wealthy political family, he served in the army during World War II and then travelled …
Victoria Victoria (1819-1901). Queen of Britain and empress of India. She succeeded her uncle, William IV, to the throne in 1837 and in 1840 married her cousin, Prince Albert …
Victor Emmanuel II Victor Emmanuel II (1820-78). King of Sardinia-Piedmont and first king of Italy. He succeeded to the Sardinian throne on the abdication of his father (1849): In …
Amerigo Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci, (1454-1512). Florentine navigator and explorer. Vespucci was originally a provision con-tractor at Seville, whose services were used by Christopher Columbus on one of his expeditions. …
Paolo Veronese Paolo Veronese, (c. 1528-88). Italian painter of the Venetian school. Born in Verona, he evolved a rich decorative style, and often included architectural elements in his pictures. …
Jules Verne Jules Verne, (1828-1905). French novelist. Verne studied law in Paris before turning to literature. Although he began by writing plays, his scientific interests soon inspired the science-fiction …
Jan Vermeer Jan Vermeer, (1632-75). Dutch painter. He struggle to support a large family, receiving little or no income from his paintings, which went unnoticed until the 19th century. …
