Christopher Columbus (Cristoforo Colombo in Italian; Christoffa in Ligurian dialect) was born in Genoa in 1451. He had little education as a boy, and only learned to read and write as an adult. So he went to sea, as did many Genovese boys, and voyaged in the Mediterranean.  In 1476 he was shipwrecked off Portugal, ... Read more ..read more

Guglielmo Marconi, born on April 25, 1874, in Bologna, Italy, was an Italian inventor and electrical engineer who is widely recognized for his pioneering work in wireless telecommunication. He is considered one of the fathers of radio and made significant contributions to the development of long-distance wireless communication, revolutionizing the way people communicate across vast ... Read more ..read more

First-generation Italian immigrants faced numerous challenges when they came to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Discrimination and defamation were among the most significant challenges that they had to deal with. One of the primary forms of discrimination that Italian immigrants faced was racial prejudice. Many Americans at the time ... Read more ..read more

Italy is known for many things including its natural beauty, rich history, and the world’s best cuisine. And of course, famous Italian paintings, which are among the most recognizable in the world, with the likes of The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.  Italian painting began to establish itself around the thirteenth century. In the ... Read more ..read more

Fiorello La Guardia was an influential Italian-American political figure, known for his dynamic leadership and significant contributions to American society. Born on December 11, 1882, in New York, he possessed a rich heritage that rooted him in both Italian and American cultures. His upbringing took an interesting turn when he spent his youth in Trieste, ... Read more ..read more

Literature has always been an important part of Italian culture, and that importance has carried through to Italian-American culture, as well. There have been many great books written by Italian-American authors, like Mario Puzo, for example, who wrote The Godfather. Besides “The Godfather, Mario Puzo also wrote a few other books around this topic. “The ... Read more ..read more

Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) was an Italian-American physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and was one of the key figures in the development of the atomic bomb. Fermi was born in Rome and for the most part had a “normal” childhood of the day. One morning, at the daily market in ... Read more ..read more