31 marzo

Carlo Abarth and Guido Scagliarini create the company Abarth & C. Established first as a racing team, it then became famous for its Abarth silencers, which gave small Fiat economical cars a further power boost and their characteristic sound. In short, it became a proper car manufacturer, specialising in development. Are both unforgettable the Abarth 595, based on the Nuova 500, and the Abarth 1000, based on the Fiat 600. Today, Abarth is part of the FCA group, which specialises in sports cars.

28 OCtober

In Pedralbes (Spain), Juan Manuel Fangio on the Alfa Romeo 159 wins his first Formula 1 World Championship. At the end of the season, the Alfa Romeo unexpectedly announces the farewell to motor racing.

The first episode of “Lascia o Raddoppia” is broadcast on 26 November. It was a game show hosted by Mike Bongiorno and his assistant Maria Giovannini. Contestants, who were experts on a particular subject, could collect their first winnings after correctly answering a question or double the stakes by preceeding to another question.

In an Italy experiencing rebirth, the jackpots of millions were the realisation of a dream that seemed easily attainable after answering a few simple questions. The programme was overwhelmingly successful – so much so that its broadcast was moved from Saturday to Thursday, following complaints from business owners who reported a noticeable decrease in their Saturday earnings. The same Mike Bongiorno’s very long television career was almost exclusively tied to the quiz show.

3 febbraio

The first episodes of “Carosello” are broadcast on RAI. Every day, from 8:50 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., short, humorous films or cartoons with a strict format are broadcast, followed by a TV advertisement. It had immediate success and became a ritual for the entire family and, for the little ones, it was the last moment they spent together before bedtime.

1° febbraio

Domenico Modugno, along with his partner, Johnny Dorelli, wins the Sanremo Festival with his song “Nel blu dipinto di blu”, more commonly known as “Volare”. Written by Franco Migliacci and Domenico Modugno, the song was a resounding hit and, in a few years, it became a symbol of Italian music through its global success. Hundreds of singers have remade it, including Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, the Platters and Luciano Pavarotti, to name a few.

On 25 January, Pope John XXIII announces the convocation of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican. Opened in 1962, the Council was closed in 1965 under Pope Paul VI, following the death of Pope John XXIII, Angelo Roncalli.

Held in Latin, it was the most representational Council of different peoples and ethnicities. The importance of the Council was compared to that of the Council of Trent, due to the importance of the reforms it promulgated and the openness of the Church to the demands of the modern and contemporary world.

24 settembre

The first episode of “Zecchino del’Oro” is broadcast, hosted by the magician Zurlì, the stage name of Cino Tortorella. The idea came from Tortorella himself, who imagined a sort of Sanremo Festival for children. The first broadcast included some evocative moments from the fairytale Pinocchio and ended with the creation of the tree of golden sequins, from which the show then took its name.

Organised by the Istituto Antoniano of Bologna, a name that is now inseparable from the programme, it became an unforgettable show for children of the Seventies. Songs like “44 Cats”, “Popoff” and “The Waltz of the Gnat” are now engraved in the minds of millions of adults today. In 1969, the show reached a record 150 million viewers, a record broken only by the Moon landing that same year.

16 luglio

The president of the Italian Republic, Giuseppe Saragat, and the president of the French Republic, Charles de Gaulle, celebrate the completion and opening of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, which actually happened three days later (19 July).

16 agosto

Stefano Mariottini, an amateur diver, discovers two exquisite Greek statues in great condition off the coast of Riace Marina. Retrieved by Carabinieri scuba divers two days later, they would go on to become famous around the world, known as the Riace bronzes.

(Image unknown source, public domain)