History is Not Boring discussion

Timothy Leary - activist & one of the symbols of 1960's. Helped get LSD outlawed.

Such fun games you think of Marco!

Yma Sumac-"Inca Princess" Exotica singer known for extreme vocal range, well over 4 octives. born 1922, died 2008.

Finding historic people who's name starts with "Y" is not easy

Cynewulf- King Of Wessex, late 8th cent, didn't get on too well with Offa.

Sorry, Manuel. It was late & I wasn't thinking well, I guess.

Ferdinand I of Portugal, The Handsome - Portuguese King from 1367 to 1383. His death ended the Burgundian line and led to a period of war known as the 1383-1385 Crisis.

Frank Loyd Wright - building desinger

Teofilo Braga - 2nd President of Portugal, important portuguese politician and writer.

Aethelstan/Athelstan- Grandson of, and arguably greater than, Alfred The Great of England.

Nat "King" Cole - American musician, the first black American to host a television variety show.

Eric Bloodaxe- Viking King of York/Northumbria (twice), 10th century...I should look a bit more recently, I seem to be stuck in the Dark Ages again.

Nelly Bly - Famous lady of the early 20th century for faking insanity & writing an expose of mental institutions.

(oops! Another 'Y'. )

Yusef Islam - the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens.

Máel Coluim mac Donnchada - Aka Malcolm III of Scotland, aka Malcolm Canmore. Defeated Macbeth at Dunsinane in 1054, killed him at Lumphanan in 1057.

Rudolph Valentino, silent film star and sheik

Oliver Cromwell - tyrant, regicide, and oppressive genocidal maniac...or republican good guy, pick a side.

Marco wrote: "I did a whole essay about him in school as to whether he's a good guy or bad guy... I can't remember what I chose but I think I chose good because his means to an end was justified by the end or so..."

My view is tainted by living in Connaught.

Ishi-1860-1916. The last surviving member of the Yana people of Northern California. His entire family had been slaughtered by white settlers. Captured by anthropologists in 1911, it was discovered he had never been assimilated by Euro/American culture, having lived away from settlers most of his life. Subject of a heartbreaking film starring Graham Green as Ishi.

Indiana Jones - recovered the Lost Ark & saved us from Germans.

OK, just kidding.

Irene Ryan - went from Vaudeville to TV, played Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies.

Nathan Hale - failed spy in the american revoluntion

Eugene Delacroix-19th century influential French Painter. Romanic emotional style precursor to the Impressionist movement.

Xerxes - Persian chap, bumped into some Spartan ruffians at Thermopylae.

Marco wrote: "Leonardo da Vinci - the guy who painted Mona Lisa"

Great description of old Leo.

Sam Raimi - director & writer, as well as actor & producer. Best known for his wonderful "Evil Dead" trilogy. The first is possibly the best horror flick out there done with such a low budget. The last two are what made Bruce Campbell into an icon.

isadora duncan - dancer

Ogden Nash - poet of light verse

Hannibal - enemy of Rome

Lucrezia Borgia-Party Girl of Rome

Laurence Olivier - Oscar-winning actor and director.

Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794) - Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, 1st Continental Congress, 2nd Continental Congress, and US Senate; Uncle of Light Horse Harry Lee of US Revolutionary War fame, and great uncle to General Robert E. Lee of US Civil War fame.
Famous Quote: "The first maxim of a man who loves liberty, should be never to grant to rulers an atom of power that is not most clearly and indispensably necessary for the safety and well being of society."

Isaac Newton - brilliant physicist and father of calculus.

Nicholas Romonov-Last Czar of Russia. Assassinated with his entire family 1918

Victor Davis - champion swimmer

Sixtus I-Roman Catholic Pope from 115-125. Feast Day August 10. Also considered a saint in the Greek Orthodox Church.

Sam Snead - one of the greatest golfers of all time.

Dorothy L. Sayers - mystery novelist of the "golden age," and creator of Lord Peter Wimsey.

Somhairle MacGill-Eain - Greatest Scots Gaelic poet of 20th cent.

nancy pelosi, current u.s. speaker of the house

Indira Gandhi-Assassinated Prime Minister of India, daughter India's first Prime Minister Nehru.

Idi Amin Dada - what not to grow up to be, dictator of Uganda in the 70's.

Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the United States.

Napoleon III-Wannabe version of his famous uncle. Lost his throne in a humiliating defeat to Prussia.

Yekaterina Gordeeva - magnificent Russian pairs skater, and two-time Olympic champion.

(Yes, it's an alternate spelling, but I was stuck with a Y!)

Anacletus-3rd Roman Catholic Pope from 76-88 AD.

Nichelle Nichols-Played Lt Uhura in the original TV series Star Trek 1966-1969. She and William Shatner shared one of the most famous kisses in history.

Stephen Hawkins - star of Simpsons and Star Trek (Next Gen)...and some kind of science guy.

Marco wrote: "Siegfried Sassoon - World War One soldier, poet

Susanna, I beat you to it ;)"

Don't try to out war-poet ME, boyo!

Snort!

I think Barbarossa made a spelling typo-
but Marco is correct it should be Stephen Hawking.

Gene Roddenberry-Writer/Producer/Police Officer/WWII pilot. Best known for writing and producing some of the most popular TV sci-fi shows..Star Trek and Star Trek Next Generation