Monday, June 12, 2006

A World Without Romania?

I've just stumbled upon a very good movie about my country: The movies has to keep a good commercial appeal and not become scientifically boring. It succeeds at that, and it does Romania a good, but not excellent, justice. The movie doesn't mention anything about the stellar poet Mihai Eminescu, the playwright Eugen Ionescu, the composer George Enescu, or the founder of the Dada movement, Tristan Tzara. More surprisingly, it doesn't mention the famous tennis players Ilie Nastase, #1 at the 1972 US Open and at the 1973 French Open, and Ion Tiriac (#1 with Ilie Nastase at men's doubles at the 1970 French Open). The list of inventors misses some big names as well: Hermann Oberth, the precursor of rocketry Victor Babes, who published the first treaty of microbiology in the world, and was one of the forefathers of serum therapy Anastase Dragomir, who basically invented the ejection seat in planes (I didn't know this one myself!) There are many other Romanians who left their mark on the world; some you might have heard about are listed on Wikipedia or here.

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