Friday, August 11, 2023

Marcel Răducanu, a Romanian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder





 Marcel Răducanu (born 21 October 1954) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

Marcel Răducanu was born in Bucharest on 21 October 1954. Răducanu made his Divizia A debut on 22 April 1973, playing for Steaua in a 2–0 loss against CSM Reșița.He won The Double in the 1975–76 season, contributing with 17 goals in 31 Divizia A matches. He won another title in the 1977–78 season for which he contributed with 18 goals in 31 matches and a cup in 1979 in which he scored two goals in the final which ended 3–0 against Sportul Studențesc București. Răducanu also played 11 matches in which he scored 5 goals in European competitions for Steaua and in the 6–0 victory against Young Boys from the 1979–80 European Cup Winners' Cup, Răducanu scored one of his most beautiful goals after showing his dribbling abilities in front of Young Boys's defense, the Swiss goalkeeper, Walter Eichenberger saying in an interview years later after that match:"He humiliated us and laughed at us". Răducanu has a total of 229 Divizia A appearances in which he scored 94 goals and in 1980 he was the Romanian Footballer of the Year, also in the same year he was nominated for the Ballon d'Or. In the summer of 1981 he defected following a match in Dortmund, West Germany. In his native Romania this act was considered a desertion, as he was a captain in the Army. Therefore, he was sentenced to nearly six years in prison in his absence. Once in West Germany he signed with both Hannover 96 and Borussia Dortmund clubs, and as a result was suspended by UEFA for one year. In order to have his services, Borussia Dortmund paid half a million deutschmarks to the Hannover club, and Răducanu made his debut in Bundesliga on 20 August 1982 under coach Karl-Heinz Feldkamp in a 1–1 against VfB Stuttgart. In his first season, Răducanu scored 9 goals in 26 matches, including two goals, one from a free kick and one after a series of dribbles in a 4–4 against Bayern Munich, these performances made sports magazine Kicker include him in the team of the 1982–83 Bundesliga season. Between 1982 and 1988, he played a total of 163 games in Bundesliga, scoring 31 goals and made 5 appearances in European competitions. In 1988 Răducanu signed a contract in Switzerland with FC Zürich where he played 47 matches, scoring 12 goals and won the promotion to the top league Nationalliga A via the playoffs with FC Zürich. In 2022, the German newspaper, Bild included Răducanu in Borussia Dortmund's best 50 players of all time, placing him on the 50th position. A book about him was written by George Coca Lob, called Marcel Răducanu. Talent, fenomen și legendă (Marcel Răducanu. Talent, phenomenon and legend).

Saturday, August 5, 2023

Piero Ferrari, an Italian billionaire businessman and sport personality

 Piero Lardi Ferrari (born 22 May 1945) is an Italian billionaire businessman and sport personality. He is the second and only living son of Enzo Ferrari, and a 10.23% owner of the Ferrari automotive company, of which he is the vice chairman. He owns 13.2% of the Ferretti Group. As of August 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$4.6 billion.

In 1998, Ferrari teamed up with José Di Mase and purchased Piaggio Aero Engineering with the idea of bringing Piaggio back to its roots as a designer and producer of business aircraft. Ferrari was nominated president. He resigned in 2015 when he sold the final 1.95% of his shares to Mubadala Development Company. The connection proved fruitful as Ferrari was then able to persuade Mubadala to become a title sponsor of the Ferrari Formula One Team the following year. Ferrari is also the chairman of HPE COXA, a company he founded in 1998 with the aim of providing high end engineering services in the mechanical field. In 2009 HPE acquired COXA, a manufacturing firm founded in 1985 and specialized in the high precision manufacturing of niche volumes and prototypes.

Following Ferrari's IPO on 21 October 2015, his 10% stake was valued at US$1.1 billion. On 28 April 2016, he entered into the Ferretti Group with 13.2% of shares. In May 2019, he was ranked by Forbes at number 838 in the world's billionaires list with a net worth of $3.1 billion.  Also in 2019, he acquired the first mega yacht built by Riva that launched the new superyacht division of the Ferretti Group. In April 2020, he was ranked by Forbes at number 680 in the world's billionaires list with a net worth of $3.4 billion.In December 2020, his stake increased in Ferrari up to 10.23%. In June 2021, he was ranked by Forbes at number 705 in the world's billionaires list with a net worth of $4.7 billion.

Monday, July 31, 2023

David Suchet, an actor that played the role of Agatha Christie's Poirot in 70 TV adaptations!



David Suchet stepped into Poirot's shoes in 1989 in the TV series Agatha Christie's Poirot, marking the beginning of a 24-year-long career playing the famous sleuth. He played the role in a total of 70 TV adaptations!


He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial Oppenheimer (1980) and received the RTS and BPG awards for his performance as Augustus Melmotte in the British serial The Way We Live Now (2001). International acclaim and recognition followed his performance as Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot[4] in Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989–2013), for which he received a 1991 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nomination.


Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Alejandro Iñárritu, a Mexican film director

Alejandro González Iñárritu (ih-nyar-ee-too), born August 15th, 1963, is a Mexican film director.
González Iñárritu is the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and by the Directors Guild of America for Best Director. He is also the first Mexican-born director to have won the Prix de la mise en scene or best director award at Cannes (2006), the second one being Carlos Reygadas in 2012. His six feature films, 'Amores Perros' (2000), '21 Grams' (2003), 'Babel' (2006), 'Biutiful' (2010), 'Birdman' (2014) and 'The Revenant' (2015), have gained critical acclaim world-wide.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

John Malkovich, an American actor recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards

John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.


 John Malkovich started his career as a charter member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago in 1976.[1] He moved to New York City acting in a Steppenwolf production of the Sam Shepard play True West (1980). He made his Broadway debut as Biff in the revival of the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman (1984). He directed the Harold Pinter play The Caretaker (1986), and acted in Lanford Wilson's Burn This (1987).

Malkovich has received two Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nominations for Places in the Heart (1984), and In the Line of Fire (1993). Other notable film roles include in The Killing Fields (1984), Empire of the Sun (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Of Mice and Men (1992), Con Air (1997), Rounders (1998), Being John Malkovich (1999), Shadow of the Vampire (2000), Ripley's Game (2002), Burn After Reading (2008), and Red (2010). He has also produced films such as Ghost World (2001), Juno (2007), and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012).

Friday, July 14, 2023

Jean Reno, a French actor of Spanish descent. He has worked in French, English, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian productions, and appeared in films such as Crimson Rivers, Godzilla, The Da Vinci Code, Mission: Impossible, The Pink Panther, Ronin, Les visiteurs, The Big Blue, Hector and the Search for Happiness and Léon: The Professional.

 Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez[1] (born 30 July 1948), known as Jean Reno (French: [ʒɑ̃ ʁeno]), is a French actor of Spanish descent. He has worked in French, English, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian productions, and appeared in films such as Crimson Rivers, Godzilla, The Da Vinci Code, Mission: Impossible, The Pink Panther, Ronin, Les visiteurs, The Big Blue, Hector and the Search for Happiness and Léon: The Professional.

After he started to get acting jobs in France, Juan adopted the French version of his name, Jean, and shortened his surname to Reno. Due to his large frame (1.88 m or 6 ft 2 in), Reno was called on to play "heavies" in his early career. He later appeared in romantic comedies and action films. He began his film career in France, appearing in many films by director Luc Besson, including his early Le dernier combat (1985). The two have continued to work together, collaborating in films produced, written, or directed by Besson. Of their joint work, those that have achieved the most critical and commercial success include: Nikita (1990), and the English-language films The Big Blue (1988) and Léon: The Professional (1994). Reno did the voice-over for Mufasa in the French-language version of The Lion King, a role originally performed in English by James Earl Jones. Reno has starred in such high-profile American films as French Kiss (1995) with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline, Mission: Impossible (1996) with Tom Cruise, Ronin (1998) with Robert De Niro, and Godzilla (1998) with Matthew Broderick. Reno turned down the role of Agent Smith in The Matrix. He also acted in French productions: Les Visiteurs (1993) (which was remade in English as Just Visiting in 2001); The Crimson Rivers (2000), and Jet Lag (Décalage horaire) by Danièle Thompson (2002), which was also a box-office success in France.
In 2006, Reno had a prominent role in The Pink Panther 2006 remake and its sequel The Pink Panther 2, playing Gilbert Ponton, opposite Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau. He portrayed Captain Bezu Fache in the Ron Howard film The Da Vinci Code. Among his most successful films are Les Visiteurs and L'Enquète corse.
In other media, Reno was involved in the production of the third installment in the popular Capcom series Onimusha (Onimusha 3: Demon Siege), lending his likeness to the protagonist Jacques Blanc, as well as providing the voice for the character's French dialogue. In advertising work, Reno has appeared in American television commercials for UPS and portrayed Doraemon in a series of Toyota ads in Japan, as part of the "ReBorn" campaign.

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Mark Edward Kelly, an American politician, former astronaut, and United States Navy captain

Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, former astronaut, and United States Navy captain who has served as the junior United States senator from Arizona since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected in the special election held following the death of Senator John McCain, defeating incumbent Republican Martha McSally.
Kelly flew combat missions during the Gulf War as a naval aviator before being selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot in 1996. He flew his first space mission in 2001 as pilot of STS-108, piloted STS-121 in 2006, and commanded STS-124 in 2008 and STS-134 in 2011, the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour. His identical twin, Scott Kelly, is also a retired astronaut; they are the only siblings to have both traveled into orbit.

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Salma Hayek, a Mexican and American actress and film producer

Salma Hayek Pinault, born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela Teresa (1989–1991) as well as the romantic drama Midaq Alley (1995). She soon established herself in Hollywood with appearances in films such as Desperado (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West (1999), and Dogma (1999). Pinault, born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966)[3][4][5] is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela Teresa (1989–1991) as well as the romantic drama Midaq Alley (1995). She soon established herself in Hollywood with appearances in films such as Desperado (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West (1999), and Dogma (1999).

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Abraham Klein, former international football referee between 1965 and 1982

Abraham Klein is an Israeli former international football referee. He refereed international matches between 1965 and 1982, including the 1968 and 1976 Olympics and important matches at the Mexico 1970, Argentina 1978 and Spain 1982 World Cup Finals. He was also a linesman (now assistant referee) for the 1982 World Cup Final in Spain.

Klein was also given the Brazil v Italy fixture in the 1982 World Cup, the game in which Paolo Rossi scored a hat-trick. He ran the line in the final to the Brazilian referee Arnaldo Coelho and was, reputedly, offered the chance to officiate in the event of that final being repl


ayed.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Steve Hackett, an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis


 Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977.[1] Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums, seven singles and one EP[2] before he left to pursue a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.
Hackett released his first solo album, Voyage of the Acolyte, while still a member of Genesis in 1975. After a series of further solo albums beginning in 1978, Hackett co-founded the supergroup GTR with Steve Howe in 1986. The group released the self-titled album GTR, which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and spawned the Top 20 single "When the Heart Rules the Mind".[3] When Hackett left GTR in 1987, the group disbanded. Hackett then resumed his solo career. He has released albums and toured worldwide on a regular basis since.

Monday, June 12, 2023

Eva Green, a French actress

Eva Gaëlle Green is a French actress. The daughter of actress Marlène Jobert, she began her career in theatre before making her film debut in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers (2003). She portrayed Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem in Ridley Scott's historical epic Kingdom of Heaven (2005). The following year, she played Bond girl Vesper Lynd in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006), for which she received the BAFTA Rising Star Award.
 
 

Sunday, June 4, 2023

Răducan Necula, widely known as Rică Răducanu, a retired Romanian football goalkeeper.


 Rică Răducanu, nicknamed Tamango after the character played by Alex Cressan from the 1958 movie, Tamango was born on 18 May 1946 in Vlădeni, Ialomița, but grew up in the Giulești neighborhood from Bucharest and started to play football in 1958 in the offence at Victoria MIBC București, later moving to Divizia C club, Flacăra Roșie București where coach Sandu Frățilă started using him as a goalkeeper, giving him his senior debut in a 1–0 victory from the 1963–64 Cupa României against Divizia A club, Progresul București in which he saved a penalty from Nicolae Oaidă. He was seen by Rapid Bucuresti's coach, Valentin Stănescu who brought him at the team from Giulești, giving him his Divizia A debut on 8 May 1966 in a 2–1 home loss against Siderurgistul Galați. In the following season, Stănescu used Răducanu in 24 Divizia A games, helping the club win the first title from its history.He also won two Cupa României in 1972 and 1975 and took part in Rapid's 1971–72 UEFA Cup campaign, playing all six games, as the team reached the eight-finals, eliminating Napoli and Legia Warsaw, being eliminated by the team who would eventually win the competition, Tottenham, also taking part in the 1972–73 European Cup Winners' Cup campaign, playing all six games, helping the team reach the quarter-finals, eliminating Landskrona BoIS and Rapid Wien, being eliminated by Leeds United who reached the final.