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History of Italy
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In 1592, Galileo, of Italy, invented the thermometer, and in 1609, he invented the telescope.
Fun fact: In Italy, it is considered distasteful to ask for extra cheese. That is taken as a signal to the chef that you don't like the food.
Christmas: Instead of Santa Claus, gifts are delivered by a witch named La Befana. Nice kids get gifts and candies. Naughty kids get coal and garlic. People leave wine for her to drink.
There is MUCH more to discover about Italy. Read on!
Italy Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards
Discover Italy: History, News, Travel, and Stories

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1592 - The thermometer is invented (Galileo, Italy)
"The first thermometer was constructed by Galileo. It consisted of a small glass globe fitted with a long tube. The open end of the tube was inserted in water, and the globe was heated until some of the air was expelled from it. When it was allowed to cool, the pressure of the external air was greater than that of the air in the globe, and so a column of water was forced up the tube, until equilibrium was established. The air thus shut off in the globe formed what we may call the thermometric body, and the top of the water column determined its volume. In using this instrument, as in using any thermometer, it was assumed on the basis of general experience, that when two bodies whose temperature are different are brought into each other's presence, their temperatures will finally become equal. This equalization of temperature is brought about by a lowering of the temperature of the hotter body and a raising of the temperature of the hotter body. It was also assumed that a change in the ... Read MORE...
Read more about Galileo GALILEI -
1609 - Galileo's telescope (Galileo, Italy)
"Galileo made his first telescope in 1609, modeled after telescopes produced in other parts of Europe that could magnify objects three times. He created a telescope later that same year that could magnify objects twenty times. With this telescope, he was able to look at the moon, discover the four satellites of Jupiter, observe a supernova, verify the phases of Venus, and discover sunspots. His discoveries proved the Copernican system which states that the earth and other planets revolve around the sun. Prior to the Copernican system, it was held that the universe was geocentric, meaning the sun revolved around the earth."
galileo.rice.edu
Read more about Galileo GALILEI -
1693 - Earthquake in Sicily killed over 60,000, destroyed 45 cities
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1737 - March 12 - Galileo's body moved to Church of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy
onthisday.com
Read more about Galileo GALILEI 1796 - Napoleon Bonaparte assumes command of the Army of Italy
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1800 - Electric storage battery is invented (Alessandro Volta, Italy)
...Probably the most important developments in the science of electricity started with the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta. This battery gave the world its first continuous, reliable source of electric current and led to all the important discoveries of the use of electricity.
Tucson Daily Citizen
Tucson, Arizona
March 18, 1960
Read more about Alessandro VOLTA -
1805 - Napoleon declared himself Italian Emperor
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1814 - Napoleon abdicated his throne; Italy divided into small kingdoms
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1849 - Republic of Rome taken over by French troops
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1861 - Kingdom of Italy established excluding Rome, Venice, San Marino; King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia became King of Italy
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1866 - Italy obtained Venice from Austria
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1870 - Italian forces occupied Rome
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1871 - Rome named capital of Italy
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1895 - Italy
Italy, it'a-le, a kingdom in the S. of Europe, consisting of a peninsula, or continental portion, and numerous islands, of which Sicily and Sardinia are the most important. It extends from the extremity of Sicily to the Rhaetian Alps, between 36° 40' and 46° 37' N. lat. and between 6° 32' and 18° 32' E. lon. It is bounded E. by Austria and the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, S. by the Mediterranean, W. by France and the Mediterranean, and N. by Switzerland and Austria. Its natural confines are the Alps and the sea. Previous to 1859, Italy was divided into the kingdoms of Sardinia and the Two Sicilies (Naples and Sicily), the Pontifical States, or States of the Church, the Lombardo-Venetian provinces of the Austrian Empire, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and the Duchies of Parma and Modena....
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
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1900 - Population of Italy - 32,475,000
1906 - April 7 – Mount Vesuvius erupts and devastates Naples.
wikipedia.org
April 7, 1906
1913 - December 12 – Vincenzo Perugia tries to sell the Mona Lisa in Florence and is arrested.
wikipedia.org
December 12, 1913
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1915 - Italy joined World War I on side of Allies
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1922 - Fascists took control of Rome; Benito Mussolini named Prime Minister
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1925 - Mussolini became Dictator of Italy
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
1929 - February 11 - Independent State of Vatican City created by Lateran Treaty
Lateran Concordat of 1929
On February 11th, 1929, an historic treaty was signed between the Italian Government and the Vatican re-establishing the political power and diplomatic standing of the Catholic Church, which had been lost when Italy seized Rome, the last of the Papal States, on September 20th, 1870.
biblelight.net
February 11, 1929
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1936 - Mussolini formed anti-Communist Axis with Germany
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1940 - Italy entered World War II as ally of Germany
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1943 - Italy surrendered to Allied forces; Mussolini forced to resign; Italy declared war on Germany
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1945 - Mussolini executed by Italian partisans
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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1955 - Italy joined United Nations
www.worldatlas.com/ webimage/ countrys/ europe/ italy/ ittimeln.htm
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