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: Ernest & Julio
Gallo
Founders of E & J Gallo Winery in
Sonoma County, California, in 1933; now Gallo Family Vineyards, the largest family owned winery in the world.
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: Giovanni
Caboto
Explored the northeastern
American continent for England.
October 15: Lee
Iacocca
Responsible for the turnaround
of Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s and established The Iacocca Foundation, which provides grants to fund diabetes research.
October 16: Dean
Martin
Popular 20th century entertainer
of stage, screen, radio, and film.
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: John N. LaCorte
Established the Italian Historical Society
of America and was the driving force behind the naming of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
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
Verrazzano
First European explorer
to enter the harbor of New York.
October 23: Sabato
Rodia
Creator and builder of
Watts Towers.
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.
