In Sweden, today is the name day for people called William.
William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066. Here are 10 (or more) famous Williams:
William the Conqueror, the reason for the surge in popularity of the name from 1066! There have been three more kings of England. Also the next in line to the throne at time of writing is William, Prince of Wales.
William Shakespeare: English playwright and poet. Other famous literary Williams include William Wordsworth, William Makepeace Thackeray, William Blake and William Butler Yeats.
William Jefferson Clinton known as Bill, 42nd US President. There have been several presidents of the United States was also called William: William Howard Taft, William H Harrison and William McKinley are three which spring to mind.
William Herschel: German born British Astronomer.
William Shatner: Canadian actor best known for playing Captain James T Kirk in Star Trek. Also William Riker, first officer on the Enterprise-D in Star Trek the Next Generation.
William Gilbert (WG) Grace: English cricketer.
William Henry Gates, better known as Bill, founder of Microsoft.
William Wilberforce: British politician, philanthropist and abolitionist.
William Hurt: American actor whose films include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Children of a Lesser God and Broadcast News.
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham or William Pitt the Elder British statesman and prime minister, and also William Pitt the Younger, ditto.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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