The document provides brief biographies of several important Romanian historical, political, and cultural figures, including: 1) Mihai Viteazu, who succeeded in uniting the Romanian lands of Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia politically in the late 16th century. 2) Nicolae Titulescu, one of the greatest Romanian diplomats who served as Foreign Minister in the interwar period and represented Romania at the League of Nations. 3) Constantin Brancusi, a pioneering modernist sculptor in the early 20th century who helped shape modern sculpture with works like Bird in Space.

1. Mihai Viteazu (1558 - August 9/19, 1601), "prince of Wallachia, of Transylvania and of the entire Land of Moldavia," he succeeded in first uniting the Romanians politically, being simultaneously prince of Wallachia (1593-1601), Transylvania (1599-1600) and Moldavia (1600). © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, May 13, 1991

2. Ştefan cel Mare (1433 - July 2, 1504), prince of Moldavia, outstanding military commander and briiliant diplomat. His courageous deeds changed Moldavia into an important political factor in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. He is the most important founder of churches and monasteries in mediaeval Moldavia (44). © ROMPRES Photo/Reproduction, Bucharest, June 27,1990

3. Alexandru loan Cuza (1820 -1873), founder of modern Rom a nia and first ruler of Romania © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, April 21, 1997

4. Ferdinand I of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (August 24, 1865 - July 20, 1927), king of Rom a nia starting on September 28/November 11, 1914. It is under his rule thatthe Great Union of 1918 was achieved. Basarabia (March 27/April 9), Bucovina (November 15-28), Transylvania (December 1) decided to unite with the Kingdom of Rom a nia. After Greater Rom a nia came into being, he supported the initiatives meant to lead to important changes in the country's economic, sociopolitical and cultural life. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, August 9, 2001

5. Carol I (1839 -1914), crowned on May 10, 1866, he first reigned as prince; starting 1881, he was proclaimed King of Rom a nia. He led the Romanian army to victory in the Independence War (1877); his crown was made of the steel of a cannon fired in the war the Romanians fought to conquer sovereignty © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, February 7, 1999

6. Participants in the signing of the Little Entente Pact in Geneva: Nicolae Titulescu, Edvard Benes and Bogoljub Jevtic , foreign ministers of România, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. © ROMPRES Photo/ RADOR, Geneva, February 16, 1933 Nicolae Titulescu (March 4, 1882 - March 17, 1941), one of the greatest inter-war Romanian diplomats, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs (1927-28 and 1932-36). Starting in 1921 he was Romania's permanent representative to the League of Nations in Geneva, being twice elected President of this organization (1930 and 1931). © ROMPRES Photo/Reproduction, Bucharest, March 13,1979 Nicolae Titulescu adressing the League of Nations . © ROMPRES Photo/Reproduction, Bucharest, 1999

7. Miron Cristea (1868 -1939), the first Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Prime Minister of Rom a nia for about a year (1938-1939) and member of the Romanian Academy. He supported the publishing of theological books. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, February 13, 1996 The Patriarchy Palace , built in the early 19th century, is the first structure of reinforced concrete erected in România. The Palace is part of an architectural complex that also includes the Patriarchy Cathedral and the Patriarch's House. © ROMPRES Photo/ Mihai ALEXE Bucharest, October 15, 1967

8. Dumitru Staniloae (1903 -1993) one of the most important theologians of the 20st century, priest, memberof the Romanian Academy, university professor, dogmatist, writer and journalist. Doctor Honoris Causa of the Orthodox Institute Saint Serge of Paris (1981). He won the honorific distinction "Cross Saint Augustin of Canterbury, for theological and Christian merits. © ROMPRES Photo/ Sorin LUPSABucharest, June 14, 1993

9. Teoctist (1915 - 2007), the 5th Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (from 1986 to 2007). The first Romanian Orthodox Patriarch who received the visit of Pope Jean Paul II in 1999. © ROMPRES Photo/Arthur MUSTAŢA Bucharest, May 8, 1999

10. Alexandru Todea (1912 - 2002), Cardinal, honorary member of the Romanian Academy. Archbishop of Alba lulia and Fagaras and Metropolitan Bishop of the Greek-Catholic Church (1986), then Cardinal (1991). © ROMPRES Photo / Sorin LUPSA Bucharest, May 8, 1999

11. Moses Rosen (1912 - 1994), former Chief-Rabbi of the Jews in România (1848 -1994) and head of the Jewish Federation in România (1964 - 1994). He established in 1979 the History Museum of the Jewish Community in România. In March 1979, Rabbi Rosen and Patriarch Justinian, head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, jointly sponsored a Jewish and Orthodox Christian Dialogue in Lucerne, Switzerland. © ROMPRES Photo/Aurel VARLAN Bucharest, March 10,1994

12. Forester's Littie Daughter painted by Nicolae Tonitza. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction, Bucharest, September9, 1994 Queuing for Bread , painted by Nicolae Tonitza. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, December 10, 1951 Nicolae Tonitza (1886 -1940), considered in the early '30s the major Romanian living painter; famous for his chiidren's portraits. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction, Bucharest, February 20, 1986

13. A Peasant Girl , painted by Nicolae Grigorescu. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction, Bucharest, May 19, 1990 Ox Cart , painted by Nicolae Grigorescu. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction, Bucharest, January 11, 1963 Nicolae Grigorescu (1838 1907), the first of the founders of the Romanian modern painting, establishing an original style in portraits, in the paintings inspired by the experience of the participation in the Independence War, in the "Ox cart" s eries, and in the landscapes painted in the country or during his travels abroad. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction, Bucharest, November 01, 1991

14. Miss Pogany , sculpture by Constantin Brancusi. © ROMPRES Photo/ Lucian TUDOSE, New York, November 11,1995 Constantin Brancusi (1876 - 1957), Romanian sculptor, a prominent figure of the 20th century art. Student of Auguste Rodin, Brancusi exerted the greatest influence on 20th century modern sculpture. His art is a combination of ancient echoes and a modern sense of forms in space ( Bird in Space, Beginning of the World, Miss Pogany). © ROMPRES / Reproduction, Bucharest, April 25, 1967

15. Grigore Vasiliu "Birlic" (1905 -1970), one of the greatest Romanian comedians. He performed in countless theatre plays and films. He remained imprinted in public mind under the nickname "Birlic " which he received after the success experienced with the namesake play he performed in at the beginning of his career © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction, Bucharest, November 12, 1953

16. Elvira Popescu (1894 -1993), theatre and film actress, stage director. She enjoyed great success in France. Elvira Popescu's theater career lasted for 65 years and the film career 50 years. Some of the plays in which she performed exceeded 2,000 representations, which is an accomplishment rarely done by other actors. She received the Moliere Award for the best actress, awarded by the association of French actors and she was awarded the Legion of Honour twice. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproducere, 1993 Hariclea Darclee (1860 -1939), well-known soprano on the main internaţional stages, especially in Italy. Giacomo Puccini composed Tosca, Pietro Mascagni Iris and Alfredo Catalani La Wally, especially for Hariclea Darclee, who interpreted the main parts in the premiere shows. At her 135th anniversary, in 1995, her natal city Brăila organized the International Canto Competition bearing her name. The contest is held every two years. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproducere, 1997

17. Carmen Stanescu (1925), theatre and film actress, performed more than 30 parts on the stage of the National Theatre and other Bucharest theatres. © ROMPRES Photo/Arm a nd ROSENTHAL, Bucharest, February 27, 1964 Maria Filotti (1883 -1956), one of the most highiy appreciated Romanian actresses of the 20th century; she worked forthree decades as a professor at the Bucharest Dramatic Art Conservatory. © ROMPRES Photo/ RADOR, Bucharest, April 6, 1930

18. Marcela Rusu (1926 - 2002), one of the great ladies of the stage, which she dominated with charm and dignity of her impeccable bearing. © ROMPRES/ Reproduction, Bucharest, October 9, 1970 Lucia Sturdza Bulandra (1873 -1961), actress and theater manager, remarkable through her impressive stage career (68 years long). At a time when actors were still assimilated to juggiers, the descendant of the Sturdza ruler had the courage to perform the parts of Queen Margot, Anna Karenina and Mary Stuart. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction, Bucharest, August 22, 2003

19. Liviu Ciulei (1923), director, actor, architect, set designer and professor. He left Romania in 1980 and was art director of the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota (US) and has been a theater professor at Columbia University since 1986 and at the New York University. As an architect he contributed to the reconstruction of the auditorium of Bulandra Theatre in Bucharest, and of other theatres as well. In 1996 he was awarded the UNITER Prize for the entire career. © ROMPRES Photo/ Mihai ALEXE, Bucharest, January 19,1979

20. Great Romanian actors Radu Beligan (left) and Marin Moraru (right), in Take, lanke and Cadar. © ROMPRES Photo/Alex TUDOR Bucharest, July 17, 2003

21. Gheorghe Dinica (1934), one ofthe most prolific and beloved Romanian actors, awarded the Karlovy Vary Prize for the film Through the Ashes ofthe Empire and the Troy Prize for the film The Conjugal Bed. Actor Gheorghe Dinica, in the play Take, lanke and Cadar © ROMPRES Photo/Alex TUDOR Bucharest, September 17,2003

22. Victor Rebengiuc (1933), actor, manager of the Bucharest "Bulandra" Theatre (1996 -1998). © ROMPRES Photo/ Vlad STAVRICA Bucharest, December 4, 2005

23. Andrei Serban (1943), actor and stage director, settled in America in 1971, with a vast classic and naţional repertoire (Julius Caesar, lona). He is famous due to the original way he directed the Ancient trilogy (Medeea, Elektra, The Trojan Women). Many of his plays were performed on Broadway. He was awarded several prizes The Obie Award and the Tony Award. He is professor of several universities worldwide. © ROMPRES Photo/ Sorin LUPŞA Bucharest, July 13, 2003 Antique Trilogy , staged by Andrei Serban. © ROMPRES Photo/Armand ROSENTHAL, Bucharest, September 10, 1990 Antique Trilogy , staged by Andrei Serban. © ROMPRES Photo/Armand ROSENTHAL, Bucharest, September 10, 1990

24. Actor Marcel Iureş performing in Richard III. © ROMPRES Photo/Arm a nd ROSENTHAL, Bucharest, February 28, 1993 Marcel Iureş (1951), actor, winner of several awards in România. After the Revolution of December 1989 he started the internaţional career, playing in several American movies, of which the best known are Amen, Hart's War, Mission Impossible, Interview With A Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, and The Pacifier. © ROMPRES Photo/ Paul BUCIUTABucharest, May 31, 2006

25. Maia Morgenstern (1962), theatre and film actress. Some ofthe most prominent roles she performed are Lola Lola in The BlueAngel or Kathleen Hogan in Park Your Car in Harvard Yard. She is known to the internaţional public especially for her role in The Passion ofthe Christ, directed by Mei Gibson (2002) for which she was awarded an EMA Prize in 2003. © ROMPRES Photo/ EPA, May 24, 2004

26. Dan Puric (1959), Romanian actor, stage and film d irector. He received many times awards for his activity. Actor Dan Puric, performing in Simfonia Fantastica, staged by Gigi Caciuleanu. © ROMPRES Photo/ Grigore POPESCU Bucharest, March 17, 2006

27. Alina Cojocaru (1981), ballet dancer. She studied ballet in Kiev for seven years and then at the Royal Ballet School in London, since 1997. First soloist in Kiev and at Royal Ballet Company in London (as of 2001), she is one of the best-known ballet dancers at internaţional level. © ROMPRES Photo/ Grigore POPESCU, Bucharest, January 23,2007

28. Cristian Mungiu (1968), film director and script writer. The film 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days (2007) made him famous through the film's selection by the jury of the Cannes Film Festival. After he was awarded a prize by the International Federation of Cinema Press and a prize by the administration of the naţional education of France, on May 27, 2007 he won the Palme D'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival. © ROMPRES Photo/ Paul BUCIUTA Bucharest, May 31, 2007

29. Alexandra Nechita (1985), a painter of Romanian origin, named Little Picasso. She is acknowledged internationally for over 15 years, being a UN ambassador for arts. She paints since she is seven, her works in Cubist style being appreciated woridwide. The Queen of England and the Emperor of Japan are among her admirers. © ROMPRES Photo/ Lucian TUDOSE Bucharest, September 6, 2004

31. Martha Bibescu (January 28, 1889 - November 28, 1973), distinguished herself as a novelist and poet. Her first book, Les huit paraclis (1908), won the award of the French Academy. She took an active part in supporting the Romanian soldiers during the First World War. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, February 2, 1999

32. Emil Cioran (April 8, 1911 - June 20, 1995), Romanian philosopher and writer, who settled in France in 1937. He deals with eternal subjects (God, Iove, time, death) from the vantage of a pessimistic outlook on man. His first writing in French, Precis de decomposition, was awarded the Rivarol prize in 1950. Subsequently he refused the literary awards that were offered to him. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, August 11, 1998 Mircea Eliade (March 19, 1907 -April 22, 1986), writer, philosopher, one of the great historians of religions. He created the chair of the history of religions at the University of Chicago. He laid emphasis on the concept of sacred space and time. His novels Maitreyi, St. John's Night, Wedding in Heaven, the novei las The Snake, Isabel and the Devil's Waters, Miss Christina or With the Gypsy Girls are only a few of the reference titles for Eliade's literary work. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, August 11, 1998

33. Petre Tutea (1902 -1991), economist, essayist, philosopher, orator and politician. He was part of the interwar generation of Romanian philosophers including Nae lonescu, Cioran, Eliade, Vulcanescu, Blaga. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, March 26,1992 Lucian Blaga (1895 -1961), imposing personality of inter-war culture, philosopher, writer, professor and diplomat, surnamed "the poet silent as a swan" © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, September 25, 1972

34. Eugene lonesco ( November 26, 1909 - March 28, 1994), theorist of the avant-garde of the 60s. He asserted himself as one of the greatest creators of the Theatre of the Absurd (The Bald Soprano, The Chairs, The Rhinoceros). © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, December 5,1990 Tristan Tzara (April 16, 1896 - December 25, 1963), poet and essay writer, cofounder of the cultural movement Dadaism. Tzara's best known Dadaistic texts are: La premiere aventure celeste de Monsiuer Antipyrine (1916) and Vingt-cinq poemes (1918). © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, August 19, 1996

35. Conductor Leopold Hager , at the XVth edition of the 'George Enescu' International Festival © ROMPRES Photo/ Paul BUCIUTA Bucharest, September 18, 2001 George Enescu (August 19, 1881 - May 4, 1955), composer, violinist, teacher, pianist and conductor, whom Yehudi Menuhin considered "one of the genuine wonders of the world." He gained internaţional fame mainly due to the Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 and the opera Oedip - staged for the first time in Paris on March 13, 1936. The George Enescu Festival was inaugurated three years after his death; year after year, the event brought to Bucharest the pick of contemporary music artists. © ROMPRES Photo/ Paul BUCIUTA Bucharest, September 18, 2001 Arrival of conductor Yehudi Menuhin (right), welcomed by George Enescu (left) © ROMPRES Photo/ RADOR Bucharest, September 8, 1946

36. Sergiu Celibidache (b. June 28, 1912 - d. August 14, 1996), conducted on all great stages of the world and reaped appreciation for his vivid, original style of music rendering. Conductor of the Stockhoim Radio Orchestra (1962-1972), of the Stuttgart Radio Orchestra (1972-1977) and of the Munich Philharmonic (1979-1996), he experienced fame atthe helm of the Copenhagen Royal Theatre Orchestra, of Milan's Scala Opera Theatre and of the Fenice Theatre in Venice. © ROMPRES Photo/ Arm a nd ROSENTHAL Bucharest, February 14, 1990

37. Angela Gheorghiu (September 7, 1965), one of the most famous sopranos in the world. Her voice is considered by internaţional criticism as a combination between the voices of two remarkable opera singers, M a ria Callas and Renata Tebaldi. © ROMPRES Photo/ Sorin LUPSA Bucharest, December 23, 2004

38. Gheorghe Zamfir (1941), also known as the "genius of the Pan flute", is renowned all around the world for his mastery of the instrument. He has performed to a full house at many of the world's prestigious artistic venues and sold millions of recordings. He is the composer of the soundtracks for Once Upon a Time in America, Karate Kid, The Tall Blonde Man with One Black Shoe. © ROMPRES Photo/Alex MICSIK Bucharest, June 29, 2005 Extraordinary concert occasioned by the celebration of 55 years of activity of pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir © ROMPRES Photo/Angelo BREZOIANU Bucharest, March 24, 2005

39. Mariana Nicolesco (b. 1948), soprano with a briiliant internaţional career, acciaimed on the most renowned stages of the world, beginning with Milan's Scala Opera Theatre - where she made her debut in the world first performance of Luciano Beria's opera La Vera Storia - as well as at the New York Metropolitan Opera, in Munich, Vienna, Paris, Chicago orTokyo. In 2005 she was awarded UNESCO "Artist for peace". At the invitation of Pope John Paul II, Mariana Nicolesco sang old Romanian Christmas carols in the first Christmas Concert in the Vatican, broadcast by Mondovisione, that reaped 1 billion audience. © ROMPRES Photo/ Ecaterina IGNAT Brăila, September 28, 2005

40. Aura Urziceanu (December 15, 1946), singer considered to be the best voice Rom a nia gave to internaţional jazz music. The only Romanian vocalist to be included in the prestigious The Grove International Encyclopedia of Jazz, in the catalogues of The Great American Popular Singles and in Eurojazz Personalities. © ROMPRES Photo/Angelo BREZOIANU Bucharest, February 13, 2007

41. Henri Coanda (1886 -1972), aviation pioneer, he built the first jet plane, named Coanda (1910); he conceived high performance aircraft, a surveillance plane (1916) that reaped high appreciation it its time, the first jet-powered motor sleigh, the world's first aerodynamic train and other equipment © ROMPRES Photo/ Radu Cristescu, Bucharest, June 21,1967 Traian Vuia (August 17, 1872 - September 3, 1950), Romanian inventor, a "pioneer of aviation," who, on March 18, 1906, at Montesson, performed the first self-propelled flight in the world by an apparatus that was heavier than air. Between 1918 and 1922 he planned and built two types of helicopters. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction, Bucharest, September 17, 1957 Traian Vuia's monoplane © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, September 17, 1957

42. Nicolae Paulescu (November 8, 1869 - July 19, 1931), scientist. In 1921 he informed of his discovering the active anti-diabetic principie in the pancreas, which he named pancreine, that came ten months before Fr. Grant Banting and Ch. Herbert Best in Toronto announced the discovery of insulin (the new name of the active principie in the pancreas). On the 50th anniversary of the discovery of insulin the competent bodies unanimously recognized the priority of the Romanian scientist. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction, Bucharest, August 10,1998 George Emil Palade (November, 1912), scientist working in cell biology, he was awarded the Nobel prize for Physiology and Medicine (1974) for the discovery of ribosomes by means of electronic microscopy. © ROMPRES Photo/Virgil Pavel Bucharest, July 20,1990 Ana Aslan (January 1, 1897 - May 20, 1988), specialist in gerontology. In 1952 she had vitamin H3 (Gerovital) patented, "the product that defeated old age.“ Numerous internaţional personalities took the Gerovital treatment: Charles de Gaulle, J. F. Kennedy, Indira Ghandi, Imelda Marcos, Marlene Dietrich, Konrad Adenauer, Charlie Chaplin, Kirk Douglas, Salvador Dali. She invented the geriatrie product Asiavital, which was patented and started being produced industrially in 1980. © ROMPRES Photo/ Reproduction Bucharest, September 17, 1957

43. lolanda Balaş (1936), Romanian athlete; corrected 14 times, over 1957-1961, the world record at high jump, from 1.75 meters to 1.91 meters. Olympic champion (Rome, 1960 and Tokyo, 1964). lolanda Balaş, during training session

44. Cristian Gatu (1945), handball player, dubbed The Magician of the Semicircle, played 212 times in the Romanian naţional team, winning two world titles, in Paris (1970) and Berlin (1974).

45. Nadia Comaneci, at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow Nadia Comaneci, at the European Gymnastics Championships in Copenhagen (Denmark) Nadia Comaneci (1961), winner of five Olympic gold medals, is the first gymnast to beawarded a perfect 10 score in an Olympic gymnastics event, at the Olympic Summer Games in Montreal, 1976. She is considered one of the best sport performers and one of the best gymnasts of all time. She was the first athlete to speak at the United Nations, to launch Year 2000, the International Year of Volunteers. Nadia still works in the gymnastics world and does charity work worldwide.

46. Ilie Nastase and Ion Tiriac in a tennis show at Davis Cup

47. Gheorghe Hagi (1965), former soccer player, currently coach at Steaua Bucharest. He had a remarkable internaţional career, playing for Steaua, Real Madrid, F.C. Barcelona and Galatasaray Istanbul. He had an outstanding technique and intelligence in the field. He was named in 1999 the best Romanian soccer player of all time, being nicknamed "Maradona of the Carpathians". He is a member in the Commission for Soccer of the International Federation. Gheorghe Hagi, at France World Cup Soccer Championships

48. Gabriela Szabo (1975), is an athlete, winner of the gold medal in 5,000 m race and winner of gold medal in 2000 Summer Olympics. Szabo is also a three-time world champion. She withdrew from the professional sport in May 2005. © ROMPRES Photo/AP Maebashi, March 7, 1999

49. Lucian Doroftei (1970), Romanian boxer, WBA world champion at the super lightweight category (61.9 Kgs.) between January 5, 2002 - October 24, 2003; as an amateur, he won the world titie in 1995 and the European champion's titie in 1996 and 1997 © ROMPRES Photo/ Artur MUSTAŢA Bucharest, February 6, 2002

50. Camelia Potec (1982), swimmer. She won the Gold medal in the women's 200m freestyle final at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. © ROMPRES Photo/ Bogdan MARAN Athens, August 17, 2005