U-V

Features

Utrillo, Maurice

Utrillo was the son of Marie Clémentine ("Suzanne") Valadon, a well-known painter, and possibly a man named Boissy. He was adopted in 1891 by the Spanish journalist and architect ... [more]

Valero, Helena

Valero is a white Brazilian who was abducted in 1932 by Yanoami Indians. She lived with them for 22 years until she escaped back to white society. Her story is told in the book Yanoáma. ... [more]

Vander-Kuyp, Kyle

Vander-Kuyp was given up by his mother as a baby, and adopted at five weeks of age by a white family, who later also adopted a daughter. His adoptive mother is also a birth mother who gave ... [more]

Vanessa-Mae

Vanessa-Mae's parents divorced when she was very young and she has been adopted by her step-father. She was born Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn (she added Nicholson to her name when she was adopted b... [more]

Vanunu, Mordechai

Vanunu was born in Morocco to a religious Jewish family who emigrated to Israel in 1963. After service in the Israeli Defence Force he started working at a nuclear research station. In ... [more]

Venkuiraje Bhonsle (under India - Princely States: 1)

Until the 19th century what is now India (like Europe) was a patchwork of over 650 princely states, like kingdoms, ranging from the small and relatively unimportant, to the large, immensely... [more]

Verdingkinder

The institution of Verdingkinder (meaning "earning children") in Switzerland dates to the early 19th century, although it has roots going back to before the Reformation, and it wa... [more]

Villon, François

Villon was born into a poor family, although he had an uncle who was a well-to-do priest. While still a young child he was adopted by Guillaume de Villon, a priest. His adult life was th... [more]

von Kleist, Heinrich

von Kleist was born into the Prussian officer class, one of seven children of the two marriages of his father, who died in 1788. von Kleist was soon sent away to Berlin to be raised by a Lu... [more]

von Lipp, Joseph

von Lipp was born the son of a poor blacksmith and his wife, Wilhelm and Maria Lipp. His parents both died in 1796 of typhus and the baby Joseph was adopted by his mother's sister, Margaret... [more]

Vrajkuvar (under India - Princely States: 3)

Until the 19th century what is now India (like Europe) was a patchwork of over 650 princely states, like kingdoms, ranging from the small and relatively unimportant, to the large, immensely... [more]