History of Italy in Timeline
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a nation in Southern and Western Europe, characterized by a peninsula extending into the Mediterranean Sea and nearly 800 islands. Bordered by France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Vatican City, and San Marino, it ranks as the tenth-largest European country by area and the third-most populous EU member. Rome serves as its capital and largest city, while other major urban centers include Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Bologna, Florence, Genoa, and Venice.
1900: Per capita income level reference
In 1900, per capita income was higher than it was in 1944 due to the impact of the war.
1906: Giosuè Carducci Nobel Prize
In 1906, Giosuè Carducci won the Nobel Prize.
1913: Adoption of Male Universal Suffrage
In 1913, male universal suffrage was adopted in Italy.
1914: Peak years of Italian diaspora
Between 1898 and 1914, approximately 750,000 Italians emigrated annually during the peak years of the Italian diaspora.
1914: Release of Cabiria
In 1914, Cabiria, the most famous Italian silent film, was released.
1915: Italy Joins World War I
In 1915, Italy entered World War I, joining the Allies with promises of territorial gains.
October 1918: Victory at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto
In October 1918, the Italians achieved victory at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, marking the end of the war on the Italian Front.
1919: Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
In 1919, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye allowed Italy to annex Trentino Alto-Adige, the Julian March, and Istria.
1920: Treaty of Rapallo
In 1920, the Treaty of Rapallo granted Italy the Kvarner Gulf and the Dalmatian city of Zara.
1921: Giovanni Giolitti's Premiership Ends
In 1921, Giovanni Giolitti's last term as prime minister ended; he served five times between 1892 and 1921.
1921: Italian Grand Prix Held
Since 1921, the Italian Grand Prix of Formula One has been held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
October 1922: March on Rome and Mussolini's Appointment
In October 1922, the Blackshirts organized the "March on Rome" and King Victor Emmanuel III appointed Mussolini as prime minister.
1922: Fascist Dictatorship Established
In 1922, the Italian fascist dictatorship was established.
1923: Founding of the Air Force
In 1923, the Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm by King Victor Emmanuel III and named Regia Aeronautica ('Royal Air Force').
1924: Treaty of Rome
In 1924, the Treaty of Rome led to the annexation of Fiume by Italy.
1926: Grazia Deledda Nobel Prize
In 1926, Grazia Deledda was a Nobel laureate.
1930: Rome Masters Founded
In 1930, the Rome Masters tennis tournament was founded.
1932: Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival, awarding the Golden Lion, was first held in 1932.
1934: World Cup Victory
In 1934, Italy's national football team won the World Cup.
1935: Invasion of Ethiopia
In 1935, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia and founded Italian East Africa.
1936: Luigi Pirandello Nobel Prize
In 1936, Luigi Pirandello was a Nobel laureate.
1938: World Cup Victory
In 1938, Italy's national football team won the World Cup.
June 1940: Italy Enters World War II
On June 10, 1940, Italy entered World War II.
1940: World War II
From 1940, Italy was part of the Axis powers during World War II until 1943.
July 1943: Allied Invasion of Sicily and Fall of Fascist Regime
In July 1943, the Allied invasion of Sicily led to the collapse of the Fascist regime, and Mussolini was deposed and arrested.
1943: Surrender to Allied Powers
In 1943, Italy surrendered to the Allied powers during World War II and became a co-belligerent.
1944: Lowest Per Capita Income Since 1900
In 1944, per capita income in Italy reached its lowest point since 1900.
April 1945: End of Hostilities
Hostilities ended on April 29, 1945, with the surrender of German forces in Italy.
April 1945: Execution of Mussolini
In April 1945, Mussolini was captured and executed by partisans while attempting to escape.
1945: Liberation of Italy
From 1943 to 1945, Italy was involved in the Italian resistance and the liberation of Italy.
1946: "Il Canto degli Italiani" becomes national anthem
In 1946, "Il Canto degli Italiani" became the national anthem of Italy.
1946: Italian Institutional Referendum
In 1946, Italy became a republic after the Italian institutional referendum held on June 2nd.
1946: Abolishment of the monarchy
In 1946, Italy became a unitary parliamentary republic after abolishing the monarchy.
1946: Formation of the Army
In 1946, the Italian Army was formed from what remained of the Royal Italian Army, coinciding with Italy becoming a republic.
1946: Birth of the Republic
Italy's National Day commemorates the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946.
1948: Christian Democrats Victory
In 1948, the Christian Democrats, under Alcide De Gasperi, won a landslide victory.
1948: Constitution
In 1948, the Constitution of Italy was established as the highest source of law.
1948: Ferrari Competes
In 1948, the Italian Scuderia Ferrari began competing in Grand Prix racing.
1948: Republican Constitution Approved
In 1948, the Republican Constitution was approved.
1950: Italian economic miracle
The Italian economic miracle, a period of rapid economic growth, occurred during the 1950s-1960s.
1955: Admission to the United Nations
In 1955, Italy was admitted to the United Nations.
1960: Italo Calvino Short Story Writer
In 1960, Italo Calvino was a short story writer.
1963: Vajont Dam flood
In 1963, Italy experienced the Vajont Dam flood as a result of deforestation, illegal building, and poor land-management policies, contributing to significant erosion in mountainous regions.
1963: Nuclear Reactors in Operation
Italy operated nuclear reactors between 1963 and 1990.
1964: Gigliola Cinquetti Eurovision win
In 1964, Gigliola Cinquetti won Eurovision.
1968: UEFA Euro Victory
1973: Oil Crisis
From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, the country experienced economic difficulties, especially after the 1973 oil crisis.
1978: Establishment of universal public healthcare system
Since 1978, Italy has run a universal public healthcare system.
1980: Italian Grand Prix
Except for the year 1980, the Italian Grand Prix of Formula One has been held since 1921 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
1982: World Cup Victory
In 1982, Italy's national football team won the World Cup.
1983: EuroBasket Gold Medal
In 1983, Italy men's basketball team won gold at EuroBasket.
1985: End of Catholicism as official religion
Since 1985, Catholicism has no longer been the official religion of Italy.
1987: Nuclear Power Abandonment
Nuclear power in Italy was abandoned after the 1987 referendums.
1990: Volleyball World Championships Win
In 1990, Italy's men's national volleyball team won the World Championship.
1990: Nuclear Programme Terminated
Italy operated nuclear reactors between 1963 and 1990, but after the Chernobyl disaster and referendums, the nuclear programme was terminated.
1991: Discovery of "Ötzi"
In 1991, Ötzi, a natural mummy dated 3400–3100 BC, was discovered in the Similaun glacier.
1992: Mafia Terror Attacks
In 1992, Italy faced terror attacks perpetrated by the Sicilian Mafia.
1993: Mafia Terror Attacks
In 1993, Italy faced terror attacks perpetrated by the Sicilian Mafia.
1994: Volleyball World Championships Win
In 1994, Italy's men's national volleyball team won the World Championship.
1995: Lowest fertility rate
In 1995, Italy's total fertility rate (TFR) reached an all-time low of 1.2 children per woman.
1997: Dario Fo Satirist and Author
In 1997, Dario Fo was a satirist and author.
1998: Sarno mudslide
In 1998, Italy experienced the Sarno mudslide as a result of deforestation, illegal building, and poor land-management policies, contributing to significant erosion in mountainous regions.
1998: Volleyball World Championships Win
In 1998, Italy's men's national volleyball team won the World Championship.
1999: EuroBasket Gold Medal
In 1999, Italy men's basketball team won gold at EuroBasket.
2000: WHO ranking of healthcare system
According to research by the World Health Organization (WHO) dating back to 2000, Italy had the second best healthcare system in the world in terms of spending efficiency and access to public care for citizens, after France.
2000: Proportion of daily smokers
In 2000, the proportion of daily smokers in Italy was 24%.
2000: Agricultural Census
Since 2000, there has been a significant decrease of 32% in the amount of farms in Italy.
2002: Euro Adoption
In 2002, Italy adopted the euro as its common European currency, with its monetary policy then set by the European Central Bank.
2002: Road Network Statistics
In 2002, Italy had 668,721 km of serviceable roads, including 6,487 km of motorways.
2003: Troop deployment to Afghanistan
From 2003, Italy deployed over 2,000 troops to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).
2004: Major Seaports
In 2004, Italy had 43 major seaports, including Genoa, the country's largest and the Mediterranean's second-largest.
2004: Olympics Silver Medal
In 2004, Italy men's basketball team won silver at the Olympics.
2005: Vehicle Circulation
Around 34,667,000 cars and 4,015,000 goods vehicles circulated on Italy's road network in 2005.
2005: Vascular Plant Species Recorded
As of 2005, 6,759 vascular plant species are recorded in the Data bank of Italian vascular flora.
2005: Civilian Air and Merchant Fleets
In 2005, Italy maintained a civilian air fleet of about 389,000 units and a merchant fleet of 581 ships.
2005: Voluntary military service
Since 2005, military service in Italy has been voluntary.
2005: Restrictions on smoking in public places
Since 2005, smoking in public places in Italy has been restricted to "specially ventilated rooms".
August 2006: Troop deployment to Lebanon
In August 2006, Italy deployed approximately 2,450 troops for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
2007: Financial Crisis Impact
In 2007, Italy was significantly impacted by the global financial crisis, exacerbating existing structural problems within the country.
2008: Financial Crisis Impact
In 2008, Italy felt the effects of the global financial crisis, which worsened existing structural problems.
2008: Railway Network Statistics
In 2008, Italy's railway network totalled 16,529 km, with 11,727 km electrified and 4,802 locomotives and railcars in operation.
2008: Nuclear Power Plan
In 2008, the government overturned the decision of nuclear program termination, with plans to build up to four nuclear power plants.
2008: Estimated illegal immigrants
In 2008, the number of illegal immigrants in Italy was estimated to be 670,000.
2008: Slight increase in fertility rate
Since 2008, the total fertility rate (TFR) climbed slightly to 1.4.
2009: Mafia presence identified in comuni
A 2009 report identified 610 comuni in Italy with a strong Mafia presence, affecting 13 million Italians and 15% of the country's GDP.
2009: Messina mudslides
In 2009, Italy experienced the Messina mudslides as a result of deforestation, illegal building, and poor land-management policies, contributing to significant erosion in mountainous regions.
2010: Agricultural Census
According to the last agricultural census, in 2010, there were 1.6 million farms in Italy.
2010: Leading Producer of Renewable Energy
In 2010, Italy ranked as the fourth largest provider of installed solar energy capacity and sixth largest of wind power capacity.
2010: Foreign-born population by region
In 2010, Italy's foreign-born population originated from Europe (54%), Africa (22%), Asia (16%), the Americas (8%), and Oceania (0.06%).
2010: Military personnel
In 2010, the Italian military had 293,202 personnel on active duty, including 114,778 Carabinieri.
2010: Montalto di Castro Power Station Completion
The Montalto di Castro Photovoltaic Power Station, the largest PV power station in Italy, was completed in 2010.
2011: Air Transport Passengers
In 2011, Italy was fifth in Europe by the number of passengers using air transport, accounting for about 10% of the European total with about 148 million passengers.
2011: Berlusconi Resigns
In 2011, amidst the Great Recession, Berlusconi resigned and was replaced by Mario Monti.
2011: Minority Christian faiths
In 2011, minority Christian faiths in Italy included an estimated 1.5 million Orthodox Christians.
2012: Inland Waterways Network
In 2012, Italy's national inland waterways network had a length of 2,400 km for commercial traffic.
2012: Proportion of daily smokers
In 2012, the proportion of daily smokers in Italy was 22%.
2013: Fashion Capital Rankings
According to the Top Global Fashion Capital Rankings (2013), Rome was ranked sixth and Milan twelfth.
2013: Financial support to the Palestinian Authority
In 2013, Italy contributed €60 million to the Palestinian Authority as one of its largest financiers.
2013: Troop deployment abroad
In 2013, Italy had 5,296 troops deployed abroad, participating in 33 UN and NATO missions across 25 countries.
2013: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
In 2013, UNESCO included Italian festivals and pasos among the intangible cultural heritage.
2013: Expected total fertility rate
In 2013, the total fertility rate was expected to reach 1.6-1.8 in 2030.
2013: Start of European Migrant Crisis
Starting in 2013, Italy became a primary entry point and destination for asylum seekers during the European migrant crisis.
2014: EU Council presidency
In 2014, Italy held a turn in the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
2014: Tourism Income and Employment
In 2014, Italy's income from travel and tourism was EUR163 billion (10% of GDP), and 1,082,000 jobs were directly related to it.
2014: Renzi Becomes Prime Minister
In 2014, Matteo Renzi became prime minister and started constitutional reform.
2014: Solar Energy Contribution
In 2014, solar energy production accounted for 9% of electricity in Italy, making it the country with the highest contribution from solar energy in the world.
2014: Vessels in service
In 2014, the Italian Navy operated 154 vessels in service, including minor auxiliary vessels.
2015: Life expectancy
In 2015, Italy's life expectancy was 80.5 years for men and 84.8 years for women, ranking the country 5th in the world.
2015: Sergio Mattarella becomes president
In 2015, Sergio Mattarella became the President of Italy.
2015: Automotive Industry Statistics
In 2015, the Italian automotive industry comprised over 144,000 firms and almost 485,000 employees, contributing 9% to the country's GDP.
2016: Film Awards
As of 2016, Italian films have won 12 Palmes d'Or, 11 Golden Lions, and 7 Golden Bears.
2016: Constitutional Reform Rejected
In 2016, a referendum rejected constitutional reform and Paolo Gentiloni became prime minister.
2016: People becoming Italian citizens
In 2016, about 201,000 people became Italian citizens.
2017: G7 presidency
In 2017, Italy held a turn in the rotating presidency of the G7.
2017: Public Debt Levels
In 2017, Italy's public debt stood at over 132% of GDP, the second highest in the EU after Greece.
2017: Rome Tourist Arrivals
In 2017, Rome was the third most visited city in Europe, and 12th in the world, with 9.4 million arrivals.
2018: Conte Becomes Prime Minister
After the 2018 general election, Giuseppe Conte became prime minister of a populist coalition.
2018: OSCE presidency
In 2018, Italy held a turn in the rotating presidency of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
2018: Secondary education evaluation
In 2018, secondary education in Italy was evaluated as being below the average among OECD countries.
2018: Youth Unemployment Rate
In 2018, the youth unemployment rate in Italy was extremely high, at 32%.
2019: Italian universities ranked in world's top 500
In 2019, 33 Italian universities were ranked among the world's top 500.
2020: Distribution of foreign population
In 2020, 61% of foreign citizens in Italy lived in the north, 24% in the centre, 11% in the south, and 4% on the islands.
2020: Population
In 2020, Italy had a population of 60,317,116 inhabitants.
2020: UEFA Euro Victory
2020: Healthcare spending
In 2020, healthcare spending in Italy accounted for 10% of GDP.
2020: Renewable Energy Consumption
In 2020, renewable energy provided approximately 37% of Italy's energy consumption.
February 2021: Conte Resigns
In February 2021, after a government crisis, Conte resigned as prime minister.
2021: Foreign residents
In 2021, Italy had approximately 5.2 million foreign residents, making up 9% of the population.
2021: Combat jets operated
In 2021, the Italian Air Force operated 219 combat jets.
2021: ITA Airways Takes Over
Since 2021, Italy's flag carrier has been ITA Airways, succeeding Alitalia.
2022: General election
During the 2022 general election, the Brothers of Italy, Democratic Party, and Five Star Movement won 357 of the 400 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, and 187 of 200 in the Senate.
2022: Meloni becomes Prime Minister
In 2022, Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as Italy's first female prime minister.
2022: Civil Airports
In 2022, Italy had 45 civil airports, including Milan Malpensa Airport and Rome Fiumicino Airport.
2023: Record low number of births
In 2023, Italy recorded a record low of 379,000 births, the fewest since 1861.
2023: Tourist Arrivals
Italy was the fourth most visited country in the world, with a total of 57 million arrivals in 2023.
2024: Population estimate
In 2024, Italy's population is estimated to have fallen just below 59 million, representing a cumulative loss of more than 1.36 million people over the span of a decade.
2024: Total fertility rate
In 2024, the total fertility rate stood at 1.2.
2024: Global Innovation Index Rank
Italy was ranked 26th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.
2030: Expected total fertility rate
In 2013, the total fertility rate was expected to reach 1.6-1.8 in 2030.
