Chaucer is best known for The Canterbury Tales, which recounted the stories of 23 pilgrims assembled at the Tabard Inn at Southbard.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was the mother of Richard I the Lionhearted and John of England. She was perhaps the most powerful woman in twelfth-century Europe

1564-1642) A mathematician, astronomer, and physicist, Italian-born Galileo was the first to study the skies with a refracting telescope. In 1610, he made major discoveries relating to the moon, the Milky Way

Michelangelo's accomplishments range from writing sonnets and love poems to creating the most famous sculptures, paintings, and buildings.

The only child of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth served as the Queen of England and Ireland (1558-1603). She never married, never had children, and was the last of the House of Tudor. Under her rule, literature, fashion, and education came to the forefront in England.