March 1
86 BC – Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army, enters in Athens, removing the tyrant Aristion who was supported by troops of Mithridates VI of Pontus
286 – Roman Emperor Diocletian raises Maximian to the rank of Caesar
293 – Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian appoint Constantius Chlorus and Galerius as Caesares, thus beginning the Tetrarchy
317 – Crispus and Constantine II, sons of Roman Emperor Constantine I, and Licinius iunior, son of Emperor Licinius, are made Caesares
1535 – Death – Bernardo Accolti [Unico Aretino], Italian writer (Virginia), dies
1607 – Birth – Giovanni Francesco Milanta composer
1643 – Death – Girolamo Frescobaldi Italian composer/organist, dies at 59
1773 – Death – Luigi Vanvitelli [Louis van Wittel], Italian architect, dies at 72
1788 – Death – Orazio Mei composer, dies at 56
1828 – Birth – Vittorio Bersezio [Carlo Nugelli] Italian playwright
1838 – Birth – Gabriele dell’ Addolorata (Francesco Possenti), Italian priest
1896 – Battle of Adua: 80,000 Ethiopians destroy 20,000 Italians
1932 – Death – Dino Campana Italian poet (Canti Orfici), dies at 46
1938 – Death – Gabrielle d’Annunzio Italian poet/fascist (Il fuoco), dies at 74
1943 – Birth – Mauro Checcoli Italy, 3 day equestrian (Olympics-gold-1964)
1958 – Death – Giacomo Balla Italian painter, dies at 86
1969 – Birth – Vincenzo Esposito NBA guard (Toronto Raptors)
March 2
1555 – Ludovico Spontoni composer
1810 – Leo XIII [Vincenzo G Pecci], 256th pope (1878-1903)
1815 – Antonio Buzzolla composer
1939 – Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli is elected Pope and takes the name Pius XII
1969 – Phil Esposito becomes first NHL Player to score 100 points in a season
1989 – Marc Donato, Canadian actor
1972 – Richard Ruccolo, American actor (italian decent)
March 3
561 Death – Pelagius I Italian Pope (547-51, 556-61), dies
1768 Death – Nicola Antonio Porpora composer, dies at 81
1824 Death – Giovanni Battista Viotti Italian violist/composer, dies at 70
1846 Birth – Desiderio Pietri Italian baker/marathon runner Dorando’s father
1911 Birth – Francesco Siciliani opera composer
1934 Birth – Gia Scala Italy, actress (Angry Hills, Don’t Go Near the Water)
1975 Birth – David Faustino California, actor (Bud-Married With Children)
March 4
51 – Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title princeps iuventutis (head of the youth).
1835 – Birth – Giovanni Schiaparelli Italy, astronomer (discovered canals of Mars)
1848 – Carlo Alberto di Savoia signs the Statuto Albertino that will later represent the first constitution of the Regno d’Italia
1848 – Sardinia-Piemonte gets new Constitution
1875 Birth – Alberto Vaccari Italian Jesuit/old testament scholar/interpreter
1912 Birth – Afro [Basaldella] Italian painter
1916 Birth – Giorgio Bassani Italian writer (Botteghe Oscure)
1932 Birth – Guido Baggiani composer
1941 Death – Edoardo Mascheroni composer, dies at 81
March 5
254 Death – St Lucius I Pope (253-54), dies
363 – Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90,000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a campaign which will bring about his own death.
1561 – Carlo Caraffa Italian cardinal, dies at 41
1668 Birth – Francesco Gasparini composer
1684 – Emperor Leopold I, Poland & Venice sign Heilig Covenant of Linz
1696 Birth – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Venetian Rococo painter (Isaac’s Sacrifice)
1696 Birth – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Venetian Rococo painter (Isaac’s Sacrifice)
1827 Death – Alessandro Volta Italian physicist (made 1st battery), dies at 82
1860 – Parma, Tuscany, Modena and Romagna vote in referendums to join Kingdom of Sardinia.
1868 – Mefistofele, an opera by Arrigo Boito premieres at La Scala.
1896 – Italian Governor of Eritrea, General Baldissera, reaches Massawa
1976 Birth – Adriana Serra-Zanetti Modena Italy, tennis star (1995 Moscow semi)
1984 Death – Tito Gobbi Italian baritone (Scarpia in Tosca), dies at 68
March 6
1447 – Tommaso Parentucelli succeeds Pope Eugene IV as Nicolas V
1475 – Michelangelo Renaissance artist: Sistine Chapel ceiling, was born
1710 Birth – Giuseppi Antonio Paganelli composer
1740 Birth – Giovanni Meli Siclian poet (Buccolica)
1853 – The Giuseppe Verdi opera La Traviata premieres in Venice
1980 – Daniel DeSanto, Canadian actor (italian descent)
2007 – Ernest Gallo, American winemaker (b. 1909)
March 7
161 – Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, an unprecedented political arrangement in the Roman Empire
321 – Roman Emperor Constantine I decrees that the dies Solis Invicti (sun-day) is the day of rest in the Empire
1663 Birth – Tomaso Antonio Vitali composer
1724 Death – Innocent XIII (Michelangiolo dei Conti), Pope (1721-24), dies at 68
1761 Death – Antonio Palella composer, dies at 68
1773 Birth – Tommaso Marchesi composer
1785 Birth – Alessandro Manzoni Italy, poet/novelist (Betrothed)
1856 Birth – Matilde Serao [Tuffolina], Italian writer (Land of Cockayne)
1939 – Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians record their signature tune, Auld Lang Syne, for Decca Records; Lombardo born in London, Ontario
March 8
1144 – Celestine II (Guido), Italian Pope (1143-44), dies in battle
1466 – Francesco Sforza Italian condottiere/duke of Milan, dies at 64
1560 – Don Carlo Gesualdo, Italian composer (d. 1613)
1933 – Luca Ronconi, Italian theater and opera director
March 9
1454 – Amerigo Vespucci explorer (Birth)
1566 – David Rizzio, the private secretary to Mary I of Scotland, is murdered in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland
1693 – Antonio Caraffa Italian General, dies at 46
1892 – Frank Puglia (born in Sicily) actor (Black Orchid, Jungle Book)
1896 – Prime Minister Francesco Crispi resigns following the Italian defeat at the Battle of Adowa.
1908 – Inter Milan is founded
1948 Birth – Emma Bonino Italian politician
1935 – Andrew James Viterbi, Ph.D. (Bergamo) is an Italian-American electrical engineer and
businessman
1984 – Julia Mancuso, American Olympic gold medalist
March 10
37 – Tiberius Claudius Nero Roman emperor (14-37), dies at 78
241 BC – First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands – The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet; end of First Punic War.
418 – Jews are excluded from public office in the Roman Empire
483 Death – Simplicius Italian Pope (468-83), dies
1698 Birth – Gaetano Maria Schiassi composer
1832 – Muzio Clementi Italian composer, dies at 79
1866 – Antonio Francesco Gaetano S Pacini composer, dies at 87
1872 – Giuseppe Mazzini Italian revolutionary (Giovane Italy), dies at 66
1888 – Ciro Pinsuti Italian pianist/composer, dies at 57
1897 – Teodulo Mabellini composer, dies at 79
1974 – Quinto Maganini composer, dies at 76
2001 – Massimo Morsello, Italian musician and activist dies (b. 1958)
2006 – Anna Moffo, American soprano dies (b. 1932)
March 11
222 Death – Varius A Bassianus Syrian emperor of Rome (218-22), murdered
537 – Goths lay siege to Rome
1302 – Romeo & Juliet’s wedding day, according to Shakespeare
1387 – Battle of Castagnaro
1513 – Leo X is elected Pope.
1544 Birth – Torquato Tasso Italy, Renaissance poet (Aminta, Apologia)
1669 – Volcano Etna in Italy erupts killing 15,000
1683 Birth – Giovanni Veneziano composer
1974 – Mount Etna in Sicily erupts
1993 Death – Dino Bravo wrestler (WWF), shot to death at 44
March 12
538 – Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Roman general, Belisarius
1478 – Giuliano di Lorenzo de’ Medici, ruler of Florence (d. 1516)
1737 – Galileo’s body moved to Church of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy
1832 – The Filippo Taglioni ballet La Sylphide receives its première performance at the Paris Opéra.
1863 – Gabriele D’Annunzio, Italian writer (d. 1938)
1921 – Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (d. 2003)
1945 – Italy’s Communist Party (CPI) calls for armed uprising in Italy
March 13
1138 – Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected anti-pope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II
1987 – John Gotti is acquitted of racketeering
March 14
1489 – The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice
1800 – Luigi Chiaramonti crowned Pope Pius VII
1912 – King Vittorio Emanuel III of Rome injured during assassination attempt
March 15
44 BC – Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March
351 – Constantius II elevates his cousin Gallus to Caesar, and puts him in charge of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire
1382 – Conservative “Popolo Grasso” regain power in Florence
1928 – Mussolini modifies Italy electoral system (abolishes right to choose)
1968 – Diocese of Rome announces that it “deplored the concept”, but wouldn’t prohibit rock and roll masses at Church of San Lessio Falconieri
March 16
37 – Caligula becomes Roman Emperor after the death of his great uncle, Tiberius.?37 – Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar, Roman Emperor (b. 46 BC)
455 – Valentinian III, Roman Emperor (b. 419)
1736 – Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Italian composer (b. 1710)
1892 – James Petrillo, American president of the musicians union (d. 1984) (Italian descent)
1902 – Leon Roppolo, American jazz clarinetist (d. 1943) (Italian descent)
1940 – Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian film director
1949 – Joe Pilato, Italian-American actor
1963 – Jimmy Degrasso, American musician (F5) (Italian descent)
1968 – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Italian composer (b. 1895)
1978 – Aldo Moro is kidnapped by left-wing terrorists in Italy and is later killed by his captors
March 17
45 BC – In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda
180 – Marcus Aurelius dies. Commodus is now the only emperor
1805 – The Italian Republic, with Napoleon as president, becomes the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King
1861 – Italy declares independence; Kingdom of Italy proclaimed
1925 – Gabriele Ferzetti, Italian film and stage actor
1976 – Luchino Visconti, Italian director (b. 1906)
March 18
37 – The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius’ will and proclaims Caligula emperor.
1902 – Enrico Caruso becomes first well-known performer to make a record
2005 – Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube is removed at the request of her husband, fueling a worldwide debate on euthanasia
March 19
1816 – Philip Mazzei, Italian physician (b. 1730)
1906 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s “Quattro Rusteghi”, premieres in Munich
1914 – Giuseppe Mercalli, Italian volcanologist (b. 1850)
1921 – Italian Fascists shoot from the Parenzana train at a group of children in Strunjan (Slovenia): two children are killed, two mangled, three wounded.
1925 – Angelo G Roncalli (Pope John XXIII) becomes a bishop
1943 – Mario Monti, Italian politician
1954 – Joey Giardello knocks out Willie Tory in round seven at Madison Square Garden in the first televised prize boxing fight shown in color
1954 – Willie Mosconi sets the world record by running 526 consecutive balls without a miss during a straight pool exhibition at East High Billiard Club in Springfield, Ohio. The record still stands today
1976 – Alessandro Nesta, Italian footballer
March 20
1502 – Pierino Belli, Italian soldier and jurist (d. 1575)
March 21
1795 – Giovanni Arduino, Italian geologist (b. 1714) ?1801 Andrea Luchesi, Italian composer (b. 1741)?1801 Maria Theresa of Tuscany, Queen of Sardinia (d. 1855)
March 22
238 – Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor.
1459 – Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1519)
1503 – Antonio Francesco Grazzini, Italian writer (d. 1583)
March 23
1919 – In Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini founds his Fascist political movement.
1922 – Ugo Tognazzi, Italian actor, director and screenwriter (d. 1990)
1937 – Robert Gallo, American physician (Italian descent)
1945 – Franco Battiato, Italian singer, songwriter and filmmaker
1981 – Luciana Carro, Canadian actress (Italian descent)
1986 – Andrea Dovizioso, Italian motorcycle racer
1994 – Giulietta Masina, Italian actress (b. 1921)
March 24
1926 – Dario Fo, Italian writer, Nobel laureate
March 25
1910 – Magda Olivero, Italian soprano
1939 – Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli becomes Pope Pius XII
1954 – Thom Loverro, American sportswriter (Italian descent)
1955 – Lee Mazzilli, American baseball player (italian descent)
1967 – Renato Cellini, Italian conductor (b.c.1913)
1971 – Cammi Granato, American ice hockey player (Italian descent)
1986 – Marco Belinelli, Italian basketball player
2009 – Giovanni Parisi, Italian boxer (b. 1967)
March 26
1026 – Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
1893 – Palmiro Togliatti, Italian communist leader (d. 1964)
1922 – Oscar Sala, Italian-born physicist
1958 – Elio de Angelis, Italian racing driver (d. 1986)
2005 – Marius Russo, American baseball player (b. 1914)
March 27
1993 – Italian former minister and Christian Democracy leader Giulio Andreotti is accused of mafia allegiance by the tribunal of Palermo
1416 – Antonio Squarcialupi, Italian composer (d. 1480)
1572 – Girolamo Maggi, Italian Renaissance man (b. c. 1523)
1714 – Francesco Antonio Zaccaria, Italian theologian and historian (d. 1795)
1770 – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian artist (b. 1696)
1963 – Quentin Tarantino, American director, writer, and producer
1967 – David Bavaro, American football player (Italian descent)
1972 – Sharkey Bonano, American musician (b. 1904) Italian descent
1988 – Renato Salvatori, Italian actor (b. 1934)
March 28
37 – Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate.?193 Roman Emperor Pertinax is assassinated by Praetorian Guards, who then sell the throne in an auction to Didius Julianus
364 – Roman Emperor Valentinian I appoints his brother Flavius Valens co-emperor.
1472 – Fra Bartolommeo, Italian artist (d. 1517)
1569 – Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma (d. 1622)
1922 – Felice Chiusano, Italian singer (d. 1990)
March 29
1746 – Carlo Buonaparte, father of Napoleon Bonaparte (d. 1785) (Italian descent)
1873 – Tullio Levi-Civita, Italian mathematician (d. 1941)
1873 – Francesco Zantedeschi, Italian physicist (b. 1797)
1888 – Enea Bossi, Italian-American engineer and aviation pioneer (d. 1963)
2003 – Carlo Urbani, Italian physician (SARS) (b. 1956)
March 30
1282 – The people of Sicily rebel against the Angevin king Charles I, in what becomes known as the Sicilian Vespers
1764 – Pietro Locatelli, Italian composer (b. 1695)
1814 – Murat issues the Rimini Declaration which would later inspire Italian Unification
1892 – Fortunato Depero, Italian artist (d. 1960)
1959 – Riccardo Zanella, president of Free State of Fiume (b. 1875)
March 31
307 – After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian.
1425 – Bianca Maria Visconti, Duchess of Milan (d. 1468)
1499 – Pope Pius IV (d. 1565)
1675 – Pope Benedict XIV (d. 1758)
1934 – Carlo Rubbia, Italian physicist, Nobel laureate
1950 – Ed Marinaro, American football player and actor