Events from the year 1940 in Italy.
Incumbents King – Victor Emmanuel III Prime Minister – Benito Mussolini
Events 18 March – In a meeting with Adolf Hitler at the Brenner Pass, Benito Mussolini undertakes to bring Italy into World War II. 10 June – Count Ciano, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, relays Italy's declaration of war to André François-Poncet, the French Ambassador to Italy, declaring war on both the United Kingdom and France. This begins Italy's participation in World War II. 28 October – Italy declares war on Greece, starting the Greco-Italian War, a theater of World War II.
Literature and culture
16 March – Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian writer and film director 31 July – Fleur Jaeggy, Swiss-Italian fiction writer
Cinema
Births 3 January – Leo de Berardinis, Italian stage actor, theatre director (d. 2008) Leo de Berardinis on the Italian Encyclopedia Treccani 19 January – Paolo Borsellino, judge and magistrate (d. 1992) 17 April – Ira von Fürstenberg, socialite and actress (d. 2024)Princess Ira Von Fürstenberg, icon of Marbella's jet set, dies at 83 26 April – Giorgio Moroder, composer 24 June Augusto Fantozzi, lawyer, tax expert, academic, businessman and politician (d. 2019) Vittorio Storaro, cinematographer 16 October – Ivan Della Mea, singer-songwriter (d. 2009) 24 October – Giacomo Bulgarelli, Italian association football player (d. 2009) 2 November – Gigi Proietti, actor, singer, and comedian (d. 2020) 26 November Enrico Bombieri, mathematician Gianni De Michelis, politician (d. 2019) 5 December – Paolo Pillitteri, politician (d. 2024)Milan: Former Mayor Paolo Pillitteri Dies at 84 18 December – Ilario Castagner, football player and manager (d. 2023) 30 December – Sergio Doplicher, mathematical physicist (d. 2025)
Deaths
28 April – Luisa Tetrazzini, Italian opera singer (b. 1871) 28 June – Italo Balbo, Italian Fascist leader (b. 1896) 10 July – Pietro Frugoni, Italian general (b. 1851)
See also Italian Campaign (World War II)
References