October 1: The Italian
Immigrant [HM]
A day to honor every Italian
who journeyed to America
from Italy.
October 2: Amadeo Pietro
Giannini [HM]
Established the branch banking
system in America.
October 3: Guglielmo
Marconi [HM]
Known as the Father of Radio
for his experiments with long distance wireless transmissions.
October 4: Filippo Mazzei
[HM]
Supporter of American freedom
during American Revolution. Thomas Jefferson’s inclusion of “all men are created equal” into the Declaration
of Independence is a paraphrase of Mazzei’s “All men are by nature equally free and independent.”
October 5: Antonio Meucci
[HM]
Original holder of the patent
for the forerunner of today’s telephone.
October 6: Joe DiMaggio
“The Yankee Clipper”
led the NY Yankees to nine World Championships.
October 7: Mario Lanza
Renowned tenor and film star
in the mid-1950s.
October 8: Helen Barolini
Award winning author of more
than 50 literary works.
October 9: Father Pietro
Bandini [HM]
Missionary for Native Americans.
In 1898 established Tontitown, “a perfect example of colonization," in Arkansas.
October 10: Enrico Fermi
[HM]
Discovered radioactive elements
that heralded the nuclear age.
October 11: Antonio Pasin
[HM]
Created Radio Flyer wagon.
October 12: Christopher
Columbus [HM]
Navigator that changed the world,
opening trade routes and immigration from Europe to the Americas.
October 13: Maria Montessori,
M.D [HM]
Developed an educational method
for teaching children.
October 14: Henry Mancini
Awarded 20 Grammys and 4 Oscars
for his film and television scores.
October 15: John Ciardi
Poet laureate, etymologist, English
professor, and radio host.
October 16: Vince Lombardi
Football icon.
October 17: Mother Francis
Xavier Cabrini [HM]
First American citizen to become
a saint.
October 18: Enrico Caruso
[HM]
World’s most acclaimed
tenor in the early 1900s.
October 19: Yogi Berra
Baseball player, manager, and
famous for his quotes, known as "yogi-isms."
October 20: Frank Capra
Acclaimed 20th Century film director,
best known for It’s a Wonderful Life.
October 21: Arturo Toscanini
[HM]
One of the world’s greatest
orchestra conductors.
October 22: Giovanni
da Verrazzano
First European explorer to enter
the harbor of New York.
October 23: Pietro di
Donato
Author of the Italian American
classic Christ in Concrete.
October 24: Fiorello
La Guardia
First three-term Mayor of New
York City, and credited for changing its landscape and building the foundation for the city’s growth after the Depression.
October 25: Amerigo Vespucci
[HM]
Namesake of America.
October 26: Geraldine
Ferraro
First woman to be nominated on
a major party ticket as Vice President of the United States.
October 27: Constantino
Brumidi [HM]
Known as the “Michelangelo
of the (U.S.) Capitol.”
October 28: Daniela Gioseffi
Award winning poet, writer, lecturer,
and educator.
October 29: Frank Sinatra
International entertainment icon.
October 30: Andrea Palladio
[HM]
"Father of Architecture," wrote
The Four Books on Architecture, the most famous and influential books on architecture of all time, and still in print.
October 31: Your Favorite
Italian
Celebrate someone not on the
list, but greatly admired.
