Umberto Nobile (1885-1978) was an Italian aviator, aeronautical engineer, and Arctic explorer. He is renowned for his contributions to the development and promotion of semi-rigid airships during the interwar period. Nobile achieved international recognition as the designer and pilot of the airship Norge, which potentially marked the first aircraft to reach the North Pole and indisputably the first to fly across the polar ice cap from Europe to America. Additionally, he designed and piloted the Italia, another polar airship, which unfortunately met a tragic fate, leading to a significant international rescue effort.Born in Lauro, Italy, Nobile began his career in aeronautical engineering after graduating from the University of Naples. Throughout World War I, he served as a military engineer and made significant contributions to the design of airships for anti-submarine reconnaissance. Nobile's conviction in the superiority of medium-sized, semi-rigid airships led to his focus on their design, culminating in the creation of the T-34 and subsequent projects for transatlantic crossings.Notably, Nobile collaborated with Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen on the historic Norge expedition to the North Pole, an endeavor that propelled his legacy in aviation and exploration. Despite challenges and controversies throughout his career, Umberto Nobile's pioneering spirit and innovative designs left an enduring impact on the field of aeronautics.

Umberto Ricci (1879–1946) was an Italian academic, economist, and politician who played a significant role in Italy's educational and political spheres. Born in Chieti, Italy, on February 20, 1879, Ricci pursued his education and obtained a degree in political economy, finance, and statistics from the Higher School of Commerce in Venice. His expertise encompassed agricultural economics and general equilibrium analysis. Ricci's career saw him working at the Ministry of Agriculture, as the head of the statistics department at the International Institute of Agriculture, and as a distinguished professor at several universities, including Parma, Pisa, Bologna, and Rome.Despite his notable academic contributions, Ricci was also actively involved in politics, aligning himself with the Liberal Party and serving as an advisor to Alberto de Stefani, the minister of finance during Benito Mussolini's regime. However, his criticism of fascist economic policies led to his removal from his teaching post in Italian universities. Subsequently, he taught economics and statistics in Egypt and later at Istanbul University in Turkey.Ricci's political involvement continued as he was appointed as the minister of education in the Bonomi cabinet, marking a significant milestone in his career. Tragically, his life was cut short when he passed away from a heart attack in Cairo on January 3, 1946, just as he was preparing to return to Italy to resume his teaching position at the Sapienza University of Rome