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The son of a lumberman, Tom Mix joined the army as a young man and was an artillery sergeant during the Philippine campaign from 1898 to 1901, though he never saw action. In fact, Mix deserted from the army and carefully kept the facts about his military service a closely guarded secret. About 1903 he was drum major with the Oklahoma Cavalry Band, playing in the St. Louis World's Fair. In 1904 he was a bartender and sheriff/marshal in Dewey, Oklahoma. He was in a series of Wild West shows, such as The Miller Bros. Wild West Show, from 1906-1909; the Widerman show in Amarillo, Texas; with wife Olive Mix in Seattle's Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition; and Will A. Dickey's Circle D Ranch. The latter supplied Selig Pictures with cowboys and Indians for movies and, in 1910, Mix was hired by Selig to provide and handle horses. His first movie was Ranch Life in the Great Southwest (1910). He continued with Selig until 1917, writing and directing as well as acting. He was signed by Fox Films in 1917 and remained with them until 1928, averaging five or so films a year. His popularity eclipsed all other great cowboy stars (Hoot Gibson and even the legendary William S. Hart) of the silent era and he earned--and spent--millions.

In addition to Mix's riding and shooting skills, the films also showcased the talents of his amazing horse, Tony the Horse. Sound and encroaching middle age were not favorable to Mix, and after making a handful of pictures during the sound era he left the film industry after 1935's serial, The Miracle Rider (1935) (a huge hit for lowly Mascot Pictures, grossing over $1 million; Mix earned $40,000), touring with the Sells Floto Circus in 1930 and 1931 and the Tom Mix Circus from 1936 to 1938. While Mix was a great showman, the combination of the Depression and the high overhead of his traveling shows conspired against his success. Mix developed a comical style, emphasizing fast action thrills to a greater extent than had been common in earlier westerns, and he did his own stunts. He was king of the cowboys during the 1920s and remained popular on radio and in comic books for more than a decade after his death. He died in an auto accident in 1940.

Charles Harrelson was born on 23 July 1939 in Huntsville, Texas, USA. He died on 15 March 2007 in Florence, Colorado, USA.

Gianna Maria Canale was born on 12 September 1927 in Reggio di Calabria, Calabria, Italy. She was an actress, known for Clash of Steel (1962), Theodora, Slave Empress (1954) and Dead Woman's Kiss (1949). She was married to Riccardo Freda. She died on 13 February 2009 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Aldo Berti was born on 29 February 1936 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was an actor, known for A Stranger in Town (1967), Born to Kill (1967) and Night of Violence (1965). He died on 26 December 2010 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Born into a time of extreme political upheaveal, Niccolò Machiavelli was a member of the old Florentine nobility. He received a proper humanistic Renaissance education, and as a young man began the climb up the perilous political ladder of Italy. In 1502 he was sent to Romagna as an envoy to Cesare Borgia, the infamous papal prince and despot who would later influence Machiavelli's political philosophy. The return of the Medici dynasty in 1512 resulted in Machiavelli's downfall. He lost his office and was imprisoned and tortured before finally being banished from Florence. It was during his exile that Machiavelli wrote his most famous work, "Il Principe (The Prince)", a handbook of sorts for autocratic rulers. Though his sympathies lay with republicanism, he was first and foremost intensely pragmatic, a quality which did not endear him to later, more idealistic, generations.

Giovanni Boccaccio was born in June 1313 in Certaldo, Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was a writer, known for The Little Hours (2017), Decameron n° 3 - Le più belle donne del Boccaccio (1972) and Decameron Nights (1953). He died on 21 December 1375 in Certaldo, Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Carlo Collodi was born on 24 November 1826 in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany [now Tuscany, Italy]. He was a writer, known for Pinocchio (1940), Pinocchio (2022) and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022). He died on 26 October 1890 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Muriel Spark was born on 1 February 1918 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. She was a writer, known for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), The Driver's Seat (1974) and Teletale (1963). She was married to Sidney Oswald Spark. She died on 13 April 2006 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Under the direction of Vittorio De Sica, Carlo Battisti left a remarkable mark in cinema history as the lead character in Umberto D. (1952), an Italian Neo-Realist classic about an elderly man who wanders through Rome with his dog Flike while trying to survive the Italy of post WWII. He was born on 10 October, 1882 in Trento - then an Austro-Hungary territory that later became part of Italy during the war years.

He wasn't an actor by trade, in fact, he was a Linguistic professor. At the age of 70, De Sica discovered Battisti and chose him for the lead role in Umberto D. (1952), who didn't want a professional actor for the role, wanting to give a more realistic approach to the story just like Rossellini did with his films in the late 1940's. Battisti received excellent reviews and praise from audiences who loved his heart-breaking performance and his memorable scenes with his loyal companion, the cute dog Flike.

After the movie, Battisti never appeared on another movie and returned to teaching until his retirement some years later. He died in 1977, aged 94.

Robert Hanssen was born on 18 April 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was married to Bernadette Wauck. He died on 5 June 2023 in Florence, Colorado, USA.

Lina Cavalieri was born on 25 December 1874 in Viterbo, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress, known for Manon Lescaut (1914), The Eternal Temptress (1917) and The Two Brides (1919). She was married to Lucien Muratore, Robert W. Chanler, Giovanni Campari and Aleksandr Beriatinskij. She died on 7 February 1944 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Considered on of the best drivers in the history of NASCAR, Cale Yarborough retired from driving after the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup season. During his career, Cale posted 83 NASCAR Winston Cup victories, currently 5th on the all time list. He won his first Daytona 500 in 1968 with the Wood Brothers, but came into his own when he began driving for legendary car owner Junior Johnson. With Johnson, Cale won three straight Winston Cup championships ('76-'78) and his second Daytona 500 ('77). He left the Johnson team in 1981 and drove a limited schedule for the rest of his career. He managed two straight Daytona 500 wins in '83 and '84 (with Harry Ranier) giving him a total of four Daytona 500's, second only to Richard Petty's seven Daytona 500 victori es. In 1987, Cale moved from Ranier Racing to form his own team, which he still owns today.

Carlo Monni was born on 23 October 1943 in Campi Bisenzio, Tuscany, Italy. He was an actor, known for Capri (2006), 10 ragazze (2011) and Treasure Island in Outer Space (1987). He died on 19 May 2013 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Oriana Fallaci was born on 29 June 1929 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. She was a writer, known for Television Theater (1953), El grito (1968) and Oriana Fallaci intervista Ayatollah Khomeini (1979). She died on 15 September 2006 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Melvin Purvis was born on 24 October 1903 in Timmonsville, South Carolina, USA. He died on 29 February 1960 in Florence, South Carolina, USA.

Mario Garriba was born on 13 November 1944 in Soave, Verona, Veneto, Italy. He was an assistant director and actor, known for In punto di morte (1971), Amarcord (1973) and Corse a perdicuore (1980). He died on 31 December 2013 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Odoardo Spadaro was born on 16 January 1895 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was an actor, known for The Golden Coach (1952), Divorce Italian Style (1961) and Tea with Mussolini (1999). He died on 26 June 1965 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Chiara Moretti was born on 8 August 1955 in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. She was an actress, known for Berlinguer: I Love You (1977), Seeking Asylum (1979) and Sweet Dreams (1981). She died on 17 May 2023 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Born in Florence Italy to mother Inez Alfani-Tellini, the Soprano Opera singer for 10 years with Arturo Toscanini. From his first wife his children, Massimo, Marco, Donina, Elizabeth, reside in Italy. From his second wife, Joan Tellini, his one daughter Chiara Tellini resides in California. He and cousin Franco Zeffirelli, both began their career under the tutelage of his mother Inez in the Opera. Italian screenwriter Piero Tellini is best known for having penned two highly regarded Italian neorealist films, Alberto Lattuada's The Bandit (1946) and Luigi Zampa's Vivere en Pace (1946). He also penned the Palme D'Or-winning script for Guardie e Ladri (1951). Tellini is a graduate of the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. One of the projects most dear to Piero, Was Amercan Youth (Giovani In America), a documentary about everything that made America "America", which was produced by RAI TV and shown in 5 European countries. Unfortunately it never aired in the United States.

Laura Pestellini was born on 27 April 1919 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. She was an actress, known for Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), Don Matteo (2000) and Sedotta e bidonata (2007). She died on 23 November 2010 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

This colorful diva of the Metropolitan Opera was one of several who jumped on the operatic bandwagon during the 1930s to achieve film stardom. Following her prima donna peers Jeanette MacDonald, Lily Pons and Grace Moore to the silver screen, Gladys' turnout would be meager and a major disappointment. Born in Deepwater, Missouri, an Ozark mining town, in 1900 (some sources give the years 1898 and even 1904), Gladys was schooled in Kansas City. A delicate and sickly child, her singing talents were robust, however, and she showed great promise at an early age. A local church soloist by age 13, she attended the Bush Conservatory of Music in Chicago where she received a Doctorate of Music in 1923. She joined the Chicago Civic Opera Company the following year where she learned over 22 roles. Training and performing in Europe in the late 20s, she made her Metropolitan debut in 1929 with "La Gioconda". As one of the Met's finest mezzos, her vast repertoire (25 in all) would include "Norma", "Peter Ibbetson", "La Forza del Destino", "Mignon" and, notably, "Carmen", which would become her signature role. While MGM had a lucrative commodity in MacDonald, RKO was busy grooming Pons and Columbia was putting Moore on glossy display. Paramount, in turn, courted and recruited the lovely, brown-eyed Gladys for their operettas. Rather docile and slightly meek in countenance, she nevertheless signed a lucrative deal and her publicity was quite the envy. She made an ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful debut in dual roles with Rose of the Rancho (1936). Not only playing a Spanish senorita, she was handed the role of "Don Carlos", the masked vigilante leader, due to her reputation on the operatic stage for playing "trouser" roles. Opposite John Boles, the film died fairly quickly at the box office. Things did not get better. Give Us This Night (1936) fizzled despite a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and a strong leading man in Polish tenor Jan Kiepura, who managed to outshine her. Champagne Waltz (1937) lacked both fiery songs and an engaging script. The mediocre Romance in the Dark (1938), which paired her again tritely with Boles, top-lined a declining John Barrymore. But it was the dull, non-singing melodrama Ambush (1939) that clinched her final cinematic curtain. Radio, on the other hand, was a superlative medium for Gladys. She was a vibrant guest on a number of programs and had her own show in New York City, singing everything from arias to spirituals to standards. She was named the #1 classical radio singer throughout the war years with sold-out recordings and concert tours to match. It would take something tragic to stop this workhorse diva and that's exactly what happened. Having survived rheumatic fever as a child, she developed life-threatening heart problems in later years and, following major surgery to repair a valve, was forced into retirement by 1957. Her personal life was, thankfully, quite blissful. Her second husband was opera singer Frank Chapman, who gave up his own career to manage hers. In the twilight years, they divided their time between a Connecticut home and a villa in Italy. Chapman died in 1966 and Gladys, who remained childless, died of her heart ailment three years later.

Mauro Misul was born in 1923 in Livorno, Tuscany, Italy. He was an actor, known for Amarcord (1973), Ginger & Fred (1986) and Vogliamo i colonnelli (1973). He died on 2 October 2006 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Giovanni Nannini was born on 16 January 1921 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was an actor, known for Tea with Mussolini (1999), Le ragazze di San Frediano (1955) and Berlinguer: I Love You (1977). He died on 28 March 2011 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

Roberto Cavalli was born on 15 November 1940 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was a costume designer and writer, known for Pootie Tang (2001), Just Me! and Virgin Territory (2007). He was married to Eva Maria Düringer and Silvana Giannoni. He died on 12 April 2024 in Florence, Italy.

Luigi Bertelli was an Italian writer, journalist and poet, author of the adventures of a popular character of the early twentieth century: Gian Burrasca. He is best known under the pseudonym of Vamba, the name of Cedric the Saxon's fool in Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe. He founded the Sunday newspaper in 1906. In the children's magazine appeared the signatures of the most famous writers of the time (Giovanni Pascoli, Gabriele d'Annunzio, Grazia Deledda, Edmondo De Amicis) and of the most refined illustrators (Umberto Brunelleschi and Filiberto Scarpelli). On those pages he published in 55 episodes, between 7 February 1907 and 17 May 1908, Gian Burrasca's newspaper.