fl. c.550–c.650 - Welsh

Poet. His Gododdin relates the epic defense of Britain against Saxon invaders. It celebrates courage, struggle, and the lost Celtic civilization also immortalized in Mallory's Morte d'Arthur.

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fl. 650 - Indian

Poet and thinker. He wrote important works on ethics and conduct as well as on Hindu religious themes and on language.

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?–651 - Irish

Christian missionary, Saint. The Celtic monasteries of Iona (from which he came) and Lindisfarne (which he founded) became famous as beacons of culture, art and learning in a dark and violent time.

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?–656

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?–661 - Arab

Fourth caliph of Islam, cousin of Mohammed, and husband of the Prophet's daughter, Fatima. He was assassinated, but his life gave birth to the Shia branch of Islam (contrasted to the Sunni branch). The Shia branch also later gave birth to Sufism, a mystical interpretation of Islam.

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573–664 - Arab

Military leader. He won the Holy Land of Palestine for Islam and also opposed Ali, the founder of the Shiite branch of the religion.

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600–664 - Chinese

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613–678 - Arab

Wife of Mohammed. By supporting her father Abu-Bakr's claim to be the first Caliph and opposing Ali, the prophet's son-in-law, she became identified with the Sunni rather than the Shia branch of Islam.

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602–680 - Arab

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?–700 - Greek

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