He was known for the characters he created with paradoxical and rude characteristics: Professor Kranz, the ultra-timid Giandomenico Fracchia, and the comedic Ugo Fantozzi. He authored several books, usually of satirical character. He also acted in dramatic roles, and appeared in several movies.
Villaggio died in Rome of complications from diabetes on 3 July 2017 at the age of 84.
Murmansk State Technical University
The Murmansk State Technical University (Russian: Мурманский Государственный Технический Университет, "Murmanskiy Gosudarstvennyy Tekhnicheskiy Universitet"; abbreviated as MSTU in English and МГТУ in Russian) is a public university in Murmansk. It was founded in 1950 as the Murmansk High Marine School (Russian: Мурманское Высшее Мореходное Училище). There are currently around 6,000 to 8,000 students attending the university.
Ares (DC Comics)
Ares (also known as Mars or War) is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Based on the Greek mythological figure of the same name, he is the Greek god of war and serves as a major adversary of the superhero Wonder Woman within the DC Universe.
The character has appeared in various forms of media. Alfred Molina voiced him in the 2009 direct-to-video animated movie "Wonder Woman". Ares later made his live-action debut in the 2017 movie "Wonder Woman", where he is portrayed by English actor David Thewlis.
Darkseid
Darkseid (pronounced "Darkside") is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character made a cameo appearance in "Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen" #134 (Dec. 1970) before making his full first appearance in "Forever People" #1 (Feb. 1971).
As the tyrannical ruler of the planet Apokolips, Darkseid's ultimate goal is to conquer the universe and eliminate all free will. One of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe, the character became a staple Superman villain and a major enemy of the Justice League. Darkseid was ranked number 6 on IGN's top 100 comic book villains of all time and number 23 on Wizard's 100 greatest villains of all time.
The character has been substantially adapted into various forms of media, most notably being voiced by Frank Welker in "" and "", by Michael Ironside in the DC animated universe, and by Andre Braugher in "".
After being referenced multiple times in the DC Extended Universe, Darkseid made his live-action debut in the movie "Zack Snyder's Justice League" with Ray Porter playing him in 2021.
Alfonso Arau
Alfonso Arau Incháustegui (born January 11, 1932) is a Mexican actor, screenwriter and director. He was born in Mexico City. His career began in 1954. He was known for his roles as Captain Herrera in Sam Peckinpah's 1969 western, "The Wild Bunch", chief bandit El Guapo in "Three Amigos" (1986), shady businessman Manuel in the comedy "Used Cars" (1980), and the smuggler Juan in "Romancing the Stone" (1984). He directed the movies "", "Like Water for Chocolate" and "A Walk in the Clouds".
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch is a 1969 American epic Western Technicolor and Panavision movie directed by Sam Peckinpah about an aging outlaw gang on the Texas–Mexico border, trying to exist in the changing modern world of 1913. The movie was controversial because of its graphic violence and its portrayal of crude men attempting to survive by any available means.
The movie, whose screenplay was written by Peckinpah and Walon Green, stars William Holden, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Ben Johnson, Alfonso Arau and Warren Oates. It was filmed in Mexico.
Murmansk
Murmansk (Russian: Му́рманск) is a port city in northwestern Russia. It is located within the Murmansk Oblast. As of 2019, the city has a population of 292,465 people.
The first Murmansk settlement was founded in 1915. It was founded during World War I so Russia's allies could send supplies to a port that wasn't blocked by ice. The location soon had a naval base and port. The settlement became an official city in 1916, and was named Romanov-on-Murman (Russian: Рома́нов-на-Му́рмане, Romanov-na-Murmane). The city was given it's current name on 16 April 1917.
From 1918 to 1920, during the Russian Civil War, the city was occupied by the White army and the Triple Entente.
During World War II, the city was an important link to the Western world for the Soviet Union. They traded supplies during the war. In 1941, the German and Finnish forces launched Operation Silver Fox with the goal of capturing Murmansk. The Soviets defeated the invaders, but Murmansk suffered a lot of destruction.
Murmansk is headquarters of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. During the Cold War it was a center for Soviet submarine activity.
In 1974, a large 36 meter (118 feet) tall monument was built in the city. It is called the Alyosha Monument. It was built in remembrance of all who fought for Murmansk in World War II. On 6 May 1985, Murmansk was formally called a Hero City (which is a title awarded to cities in the Soviet Union that performed outstanding heroism during WW2).
The Arctic Hotel opened in 1984, and became the tallest building above the Arctic Circle.
The main industries in Murmansk are fishing, sea transport, rail and road transportation, marine geology, etc.
The city's population has been shrinking since 1992. At it's peak, the city had a population of around 489,000 people in 1989. Between 1989 and 1992, more than 28,000 people left the city. This was because of the sudden deterioration in the economic situation.
According to the 2010 census, the ethnic composition is:
In 2016, 16.5% of the population was under 15 years of age, while 54.7% was between 16 and 56, and 28.7% of the population was older than 56. This means that the city has a older population compared to the entire Murmansk Oblast.
Murmansk has a subarctic climate. This means that the city has long and cold winters and short, cool summers. Murmansk is above the arctic circle, so the city experiences polar nights.
Old Synagogue (Erfurt)
The Old Synagogue (German:"Alte Synagoge") in Erfurt, in central Germany, is one of the best preserved medieval synagogues in Europe. The oldest parts were built in the late 11th century. Most parts of the building are from around 1250 to 1320. In 2015 it was proposed as a World Heritage Site.
It has been a museum of local Jewish history since 2009. The Erfurt Treasure is kept there. This is a collection of medieval coins, jewellery and metalwork found in 1998. The museum also has copies of the Erfurt Hebrew Manuscripts. This is a collection of rare religious manuscripts that belonged to the Jewish community of Erfurt in the middle ages.
The oldest parts of the building date from 1094. About 1270 a larger synagogue, which included parts of the older building, was built. The western wall of the building dates from this time. It has its six original windows. Another storey was added in the early 1300s.
In 1349, many people died from the Black Death disease. People said it was the fault of the Jews. The Jews were murdered and made to leave the city. This pogrom is known as the Erfurt Massacre. The synagogue was damaged and Erfurt City Council took control of the building. They later sold it to a local business man. He used it as a warehouse and made changes to the interior, including building a cellar. For the next 500 years it was used for storing goods.
From the 19th century, the building was used as a ballroom, a restaurant and even a bowling alley. These changes meant that the Old Synagogue was mostly forgotten about. Its history was not recognised, which helped to protect it during the Nazi period.
In the late 1980s there was renewed interest in the old building. The architectural historian Elmar Altwasser began to research it in 1992. Erfurt City Council bought the property in 1998 and researched and conserved it. All stages of the building's history were conserved, not just its use as a Synagogue.