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Italy National Football Team

Italy national football team

The Italian national football team is one of the most successful national football teams, having won three World Cups. The traditional jersey colour of the national team (as well as of all Italian teams and athletes, but in motor sports) is light blue (azzurro, in Italian), and therefore national team members are nicknamed Azzurri.

History

The first match of the Italian national football team was held in Milan, Italy on 15 May 1910, against France (a 6–2 victory for Azzurri). After avoiding the first World Cup (1930, in Uruguay), the Italian national team won two World Cups straight: 1934 edition, hosted by Italy, won beating Czechoslovakia 2–1 in Rome; 1938 edition, hosted by France, won beating Hungary 4–2 in Paris. After World War II, the Italian national team did not perform at its pre-war levels, reaching no more than the first round in 1950 (but notice the Superga air disaster, which took away the best Italian players), 1954, 1962 and 1966 editions, and not even qualifying for the 1958 tournament. The match that has more significance, among those played in this period, is the 0–1 defeat against North Korea during the final stage of 1966 World Cup: Azzurri were defeated by the semi-professional North Korea football players and bitterly contested at their return home, while North Korean scorer Pak Do Ik was celebrated as David who killed Goliath. In 1968, Azzurri won their first major competition since the 1938 World Cup, defeating Yugoslavia in Rome for European Championship title: this is the only major competition final that was played two times, since after extra times (ended in a draw, 1–1), rules required the match to be played again a few days later, and this time Italy won 2–0. Two years later, Azzurri participated to 1970 edition of the World Cup, organized in Mexico; they managed to arrive at the final, where they were defeated by Brazil 4–1, but the semi-final match, won 4–3 after extra time against West Germany, is by far the most influential and celebrated in Italian football history. The fourth place reached in 1978 edition was an introduction to 1982 triumph: after low level qualifications and first round (they advanced over Cameroon because of more goals scored), an under-rated and press-bashed Italian team collected three impressive games against Argentina (defeated 2–1), Brazil (3–2), and Poland (2–0, semifinal), winning the title against West Germany (3–1); cup top scorer was Paolo Rossi, with six goals scored in the last three matches. In the last fifteen years, Azzurri played an important role on world football scene, even not winning any trophy: virtually all their participations are somehow remarkable. Italy hosted the World Cup in 1990. They were the favourites to win and were arguably the best team in the competition, but inexplicably lost the semi-final 4–3 on penalties to Argentina after a 1–1 draw at the end of extra time; later, they defeated England 2–1 in the third place play-off, thus conceding only two goals in the whole tournament. In 1994 World Cup edition, Italy reached the final against Brazil, despite a poor start. They were inspired by pony-tailed midfielder Roberto Baggio, but were exhausted after an arduous campaign. They drew 0–0 at the end of extra time, and lost the subsequent penalty shooutout. Baggio missed the final penalty in a cruel irony. Also 1998 edition is marked by a penalty shootout, lost 4–3 in quarter-final against France. The Italian participation to 2000 European Championship was followed with skeptisism, but Azzurri won an incredible semi-final against home team the Netherlands — Italian goalkeeper Francesco Toldo saved one penalty during the match and two during the shootout, Netherlands players missed one penalty during the match and one during the shootout – a success rate of one penalty scored on six tries — and lost the final 2–1 against France (golden goal), allowing les Bleus equalizing goal 30 seconds before the end of the match. Italy failed in both 2002 World Cup and 2004 European Championship; in both cases, controversial episodes shifted the focus away from Azzurris bad performance. Italy also won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1936 and two Bronze Medals, in 1928 and 2004. The Italian under-21 national team is very successful, having won five out of the last seven European Under-21 Football Championships (1990–92, 1992–94, 1994–96, 1998–2000 and 2002–2004 editions).
World Cup record

- 1930 - Did not enter
- 1934 - Champions
- 1938 - Champions
- 1950 - Round 1
- 1954 - Round 1
- 1958 - Did not qualify
- 1962 - Round 1
- 1966 - Round 1
- 1970 - Runners-up
- 1974 - Round 1
- 1978 - Fourth place
- 1982 - Champions
- 1986 - Round 2
- 1990 - Third place
- 1994 - Runners-up
- 1998 - Quarter-finals
- 2002 - Round 2
- 2006 - Qualified
European Championship record

- 1960 - Did not enter
- 1964 - Did not qualify
- 1968 - Champions
- 1972 - Did not qualify
- 1976 - Did not qualify
- 1980 - Fourth place
- 1984 - Did not qualify
- 1988 - Semifinals
- 1992 - Did not qualify
- 1996 - Round 1
- 2000 - Runners-up
- 2004 - Round 1
Coaches

- Augusto Rangone (1925-1928)
- Vittorio Pozzo (1929-1948)
- Edmondo Fabbri (1962-1966)
- Ferruccio Valcareggi (1966-1974)
- Enzo Bearzot (1975-1986)
- Azeglio Vicini (1986-1991)
- Arrigo Sacchi (1991-1996)
- Cesare Maldini (1997-1998)
- Dino Zoff (1998-2000)
- Giovanni Trapattoni (2000-2004)
- Marcello Lippi (2004-)
Famous past players

Current Squad

External links

- [http://www.figc.it/english/default.htm Italian Football Federation (Official news about the national team)]
- [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/ital-intres.html RSSSF archive of international results 1910-]
- [http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/ital-recintlp.html RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers]
- [http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/ital-coach-triv.html RSSSF archive of coaches 1910-]
- [http://www.planetworldcup.com/NATIONS/ita.html Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup]
- [http://www.planetworldcup.com/NATIONS/ita_qualify.html Planet World Cup archive of squads in the World Cup]
- [http://www.planetworldcup.com/NATIONS/ita_squads.html Planet World Cup archive of results in the World Cup qualifiers] Category:Football in Italy

Football (soccer)
:Soccer redirects here. For other senses, see soccer (disambiguation). soccer (disambiguation) Association football, soccer, or simply football (see below) is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. Football is played predominantly with the feet, but players may use any part of their body except their hands and arms to propel the ball; the exceptions to this are throw-ins (ie: when the ball goes out of bounds, field players throw the ball into play from the sidelines) and the two players acting as goalkeepers, who are the only ones allowed to handle the ball on the field of play, albeit with restrictions. The sport is known by a variety of names in different parts of the English-speaking world, usually association football and its contraction, soccer. These names are often used to distinguish the game from other codes of football, since the word "football" may be used to refer to several quite different games. Football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to a football stadium to follow their favourite team, whilst millions more avidly watch the game on television. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football's governing body, published in the spring of 2001, over 240 million people regularly play football in more than 200 countries in every part of the world. Its simple rules and minimal equipment requirements have no doubt aided its spread and growth in popularity. In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular sport in the world.
Nature of the game
Two teams of eleven players each compete to get a spherical ball (itself known as a football) into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a goal. The team which has scored the most goals at the conclusion of the game is the winner; if both teams have an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. The primary rule for this objective is that players, other than the goalkeepers, may not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play (though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart). Although players mainly use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. throw-in In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling (running with the ball close to their feet); by passing the ball from team-mate to team-mate; and by taking shots at the goal. Opposition players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent who controls the ball. Football is generally a free-flowing game with the ball in play at all times except when the ball has left the field of play by wholly crossing over a boundary line (either on the ground or in the air), or play has been stopped by the referee. When play has been stopped, it recommences with a specified restart (see below). The game is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, which are summarised below.
The Laws of the Game

History and development
The Laws of the Game are based on efforts made in the mid-19th century to standardise the rules of the widely varying games of football played at the public schools of England. The first set of rules resembling the modern game were produced at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury, but they were far from universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs were formed, thoughout the English-speaking world, independent of schools or universities, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club (formed by former pupils from Harrow) in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, J.C. Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These efforts contribute to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863 which first met on the evening of 26 October 1863 at the Freemason's Tavern in Great Queen Street, London. The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, who was the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second, obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA but instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original fourteen rules of the game. Despite this, the Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s. Today the laws of the game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The Board was formed in 1882 after a meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. Today the board is made up of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations. 1913
Overview of the Laws
There are seventeen Laws in the official Laws of the Game. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although the preface to the Laws does grant national associations the ability to authorise certain modifications for juniors, seniors, women, etc. The Laws are often framed in broad terms, which allows flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. In addition to the seventeen Laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football. The Laws can be found on the [http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/regulation/0,3527,3,00.html official FIFA website].
Players and equipment
Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum of seven players are required to constitute a team. There are a variety of positions in which the outfield players are strategically placed by a manager/coach, though these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. One player on each team must be designated as that team's goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to handle the ball with his hands or arms, but is restricted to doing so within the penalty area (also known as the "box" or "18 yard box") in front of his own goal. The basic equipment players are required to wear includes a shirt (or jersey), shorts, socks (or stockings), footwear and adequate shin guards. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player (including jewellery or watches). A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum substitutions permitted in international games and in national level leagues is three, though substitution numbers may be varied in other leagues. The usual reasons for a player's replacement include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or to waste a little time at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in the match.
Officials
A game is presided over by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions regarding facts connected with play are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees (formerly called linesmen). In many high-level games there is also a fourth official, who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.
Playing field
fourth official)]] The length of the field (pitch) for international adult matches should be in the range 100-130 yards (90-120m) and the width should be in the range 50-100 yards (45-90m).The pitch must be rectangular, with the length of the touch line longer than the width of the goal line. The longer boundary lines are touch lines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. On the goal line at each end of the field is a goal. The inner edges of the goal posts must be 8 yards (7.32m) apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar must be 8 feet (2.44m) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, though are not required by the Laws. In front of each goal is an area of the field known as the penalty area (colloquially "penalty box", "18 yard box" or simply "the box"). This area consists of the area formed by the goal-line, two lines starting on the goal-line 18 yards (16.5m) from the goalposts and extending 18 yards into the pitch from the goal-line, and a line joining these. This area has a number of important functions, the most prominent being to denote where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a foul by a defender which would usually punished by a direct free kick becomes punishable by a penalty kick. The field has other field markings and defined areas; these are described in the main article above.
Duration

Standard durations
A standard adult football match consists of two periods (known as halves) of 45 minutes each. There is usually a 15-minute break between halves, known as half time. The end of the match is known as full-time. At the end of each half the referee adds time to account for interruptions during play, such as substitutions, treatment of injuries and time wasting. This addition is traditionally known as injury time.
Extra time and shootouts
If tied at the end of regulation time, in some competitions the game may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Note that goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, unlike kicks from the penalty mark which are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored not making up part of the final score). Competitions utilising two-leg stages (i.e. where each round involves the two teams playing each other twice) may utilise the so-called away goals rule to attempt to determine which team progresses in the event of the teams being equal on wins; however, should results still be equal following this calculation kicks from the penalty mark are usually required. Other competitions may require a tied game to be replayed.
Golden and silver goal experiments
In the late 1990s, the IFAB experimented with ways of making matches more likely to end without requiring kicks from the penalty mark, which were often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or at the end of the first period of extra time if one team was by then leading (silver goal). Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.
Referee as official timekeeper
The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and it is part of his duties to make allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, cautions and dismissals, sundry time wasting, etc. When making such an allowance for time lost, the referee is often said to be "adding time on". The amount of time is at the sole discretion of the referee, and the referee alone signals when the match has been completed. There are no other timekeepers, although assistant referees carry a watch and may provide a second opinion if requested by the referee. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half the referee will signal how many minutes remain to be played, and the fourth official then signals this to players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. Note that there is often semantic debate as to whether the referee is "adding on" time to the end of a half, or rather treating time during stoppages as though it never existed as part of the match time; this distinction has little bearing on the practical conduct of a game, however it may be noted that the pre-1997 wording of the laws stated that the referee "shall ... allow the full or agreed time adding thereto all time lost through injury or accident" (Law V), and later FIFA guidelines regarding the annotation of goal scoring times suggested that time is indeed "added-on" to the end of the agreed half period.
Starts and re-starts
Each playing period in football commences with a kick-off, which is a set kick from the centre-spot by one team. At kick-off all players are required to be in their half of the field, and all players of the non-kicking team must also remain outside the centre-circle, until the ball is kicked and moved. Kick-offs are also used to restart play following a goal. From the initial kick-off of a period until the end of that period, the ball is "in play" at all times until the end of the playing period, except when the ball leaves the field of play or play is stopped by the referee; in these cases play is re-started by one of the following eight methods: kick-off
- Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_01.htm Law 8]).
- Throw-in: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws15_01.htm Law 15]).
- Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by an attacker; awarded to defending team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws16_01.htm Law 16]).
- Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a defender; awarded to attacking team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws17_01.htm Law 17]).
- Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution/send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Penalty kick: awarded to fouled team following "penal" foul having occurred in their opponent's penalty area. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws14_01.htm Law 14]).
- Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason (e.g. a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective). ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_03.htm Law 8]).
Fouls and misconduct
A foul occurs when a player (not a substitute) commits a specific offence listed in the Laws of the Game, against an opponent, when the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are mainly listed in Law 12. "Penal fouls", for example handling the ball, tripping an opponent, pushing an opponent, etc, are punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick. Misconduct may occur at any time, and need not be against an opponent. Substitutes may commit misconduct. Whilst the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. Misconduct may be punished by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card).
Offside
The offside law limits the ability of attacking players to remain forward (i.e. closer to the opponent's goal-line) of both the ball and the second last defending player. It is often assumed that the purpose of this law is to prevent "goal scrounging" or "cherry picking", but in fact the offside law has similar roots to the offside law in rugby (see full article). The details and application of this law are complex, and often result in controversy: for more information on offside please refer to the main article above.
Governing bodies
The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
- Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- Central/North America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF; also known as The Football Confederation)
- Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
- Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
- South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL) The recognised various national associations (see football around the world) oversee football within their jurisdictions. These are affiliated both with FIFA directly and also with their respective continental confederations. Note that the Laws of the Game are not maintained by FIFA itself; rather they are maintained by the International Football Association Board, as discussed in the history and development section above.
Major international competitions

Worldwide international competitions
The major international competition in football is the World Cup organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year period. Over 190 national teams compete in regional qualifying tournaments for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, now involves 32 national teams (increased from 24 in 1998) competing over a four-week period. There has been a football tournament at the Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Originally this was for amateurs only, however since the 1984 Summer Olympics professionals have been permitted as well, albeit with certain restrictions which effectively prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level with a restricted number of over-age players per team; consequently the competition is not generally considered to carry the same international significance and prestige as the World Cup. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, the women's Olympic tournament is played by full international sides without age restrictions. It thus carries international prestige considered comparable to that of the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Major international competitions
The major international competitions of the world and the continental confederations, followed by their major club events where appropriate, are:
- World: FIFA World Cup; FIFA Club World Championship
- Europe: European Championship; UEFA Champions League
- South America: Copa América; Copa Libertadores
- Africa: African Nations Cup; CAF Champions League
- Asia: Asian Cup; AFC Champions League
- North/Central America & Caribbean: CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Oceania: Oceania Nations Cup; Oceania Club Championship
Names of the game
Oceania Club Championship] The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer first appeared in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of Association football. Today the sport is known by a number of names throughout the English-speaking world, the most common being football and soccer; this has generated debate regarding the "correct" name for the sport. The term used depends largely on the need to differentiate the sport from other codes of football followed in a community. Football is the term used by FIFA, the sport's world governing body, and the International Olympic Committee. For more details of naming throughout the world, please refer to the main articles above.
See also

Other varieties of the game

- Indoor football: futsal, five a side football, and indoor soccer
- Informal football-style games: see street football
- Paralympic football
Teams and players

- List of club/sub-national football teams
- List of famous football players
- List of national football teams
Gameplay

- Football formations - common team formations
- Football positions - common player positions
- Football tactics and skills
Miscellaneous

- Football around the world
- Football culture
- List of football (soccer) mascots
- NF-Board
- Oldest football clubs
- Representative caps
- Women's football around the world
- Women's football (soccer)
Further reading

- Stefan Szymanski and Tim Kuypers (1999), Winners and Losers: The Business Strategy of Football, Viking
External links

- [http://www.fifa.com/ Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)]
- [http://www.the-afc.com/ Asian Football Confederation (AFC)]
- [http://www.cafonline.com/ Confederation of African Football (CAF)]
- [http://www.concacaf.com/ Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)]
- [http://www.uefa.com/ Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)]
- [http://www.conmebol.com/ South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL)]
- [http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)]
- [http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/index.html The Current Laws of the Game (LOTG)]
- [http://www.rsssf.com/ The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF)]
- [http://www.11v11.co.uk/ Association of Football Statisticians (AFS)]
- [http://www.holycross.edu/departments/economics/vmatheso/research/soccerreview.pdf Economics of Football - Literature Review] (PDF) Category:Olympic sports Category:Team sports Category:Ball games als:Fussball zh-min-nan:Kha-kiû ko:축구 ms:Bola sepak ja:サッカー simple:Soccer football th:ฟุตบอล

Milan

:This is about the Italian city of Milan. For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation). Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese dialect: Milán) is the main city in northern Italy, and is located in the plains of Lombardy, the most populated and developed region in Italy. The city proper has about 1.3 million inhabitants (2004), but the population including the surrounding metropolitan area is about 4 million. Milan's name has for many centuries been recorded as Mailand, which is still the German name of the city today. It comes from the Celtic Mid-lan (meaning "in the middle of the plain") and was known as Mediolanum by the Romans. Its province lies in the western part of Lombardy; it covers an area of 1,982 km² and has a population of 3,707,210 (2001 census); in 1991, the population was 3,738,685. The province comprises 188 communes, ranging in population (2001) from Milan Municipality (1,256,211) to Nosate (638); the city of Milan has lost 113,084 inhabitants (8.3 percent), from 1991 to 2001. The town is famous for fashion firms and shops (via Montenapoleone) and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele on the Piazza Duomo, reputed to be the world's oldest shopping mall. Milan is one of the world capitals of fashion, like New York City, Paris, London and Rome, and design. Another famed product of the city is the traditional Christmas sweet cake called Panettone. Milan is also famous for the Alfa Romeo and its silk production.

History

It is presumed Milan was originally founded by the Celts of Northern Italy around 600 BC and was conquered around 222 BC by the Romans, who gave it the name of Mediolanum. In the 4th century A.D., at the time of the bishop Saint Ambrose and emperor Theodosius I, the city was briefly the capital of the Western Roman Empire. At that time Milan was the second largest city in Europe, with more than 300,000 inhabitants. In the 11th century, after the Ostrogothic and Lombard periods, the city regained its importance and led other Italian cities in gaining semi-independence from the Holy Roman Empire. During the Plague of 1349 Milan was one of the few places in Europe that was untouched by the epidemic, but it was deeply affected by the plagues of 1402 (50,000 deaths), 1542 (80,000), 1576 (17,000) and 1629 (also known as Great Plague of Milan, 70,000 deaths). During the Renaissance Milan was ruled by dukes of the Visconti and Sforza families, who had artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Bramante at their service. After trying to conquer the rest of northern Italy in the 15th century, Milan was conquered by France, and then by Spain, in the early 16th century. In the 18th century Austria replaced Spain as Milan's overlord, but the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars saw the city annexed into the French satellite states of the Cisalpine Republic, which later became the Kingdom of Italy. After this period, Milan was part of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, under Austrian rule. Milan eventually became one of the main centers of Italian nationalism, claiming independence and the unification of Italy. In 1859 (after the second of the Wars of Italian Independence) Austrian rule was ended by the Kingdom of Sardinia (which transformed into the kingdom of Italy in 1861). As a critical industrial center of Italy, Milan was target of continuous carpet bombing during World War II. The city was bombed even after Pietro Badoglio surrendered to the allied forces in 1943. In fact Milan was part of Mussolini's puppet state Italian Social Republic and an important command centre of the German Army stationed in Italy. When war in Italy was finally over, April 25 1945, Milan was heavily damaged and entire neighborhoods like Precotto and Turro were destroyed. After the war the city was reconstructed and has again become an important financial and industrial centre of Italy. See also: Rulers of Milan.

Demographics

Milan is a very diverse city, because it is the second largest city in Italy but it is probably the most industrial centre in the country. Many of the immigrants are from Asian and North African nations. A small percentage comes from Latin America. The city is 91% Italian, and the remaining groups include Egyptian, Filipino, Sri Lankan, Chinese, and Albanian.

Economy

Milan is the centre of many financial businesses, and its hinterland is an avant-garde industrial area. [http://www.fieramilano.com/ Fiera Milano], the city's Exhibition Center and Trade Fair complex is one of the most important in the world. The new fairground, in the north-western suburb of Pero and Rho (opened in April 2005) is Europe's largest open construction project and makes Fiera Milano the largest trade fair complex in the world. Milan was included in a list of ten "Alpha world cities" by Peter J. Taylor and Robert E. Lang of the Brookings Institution in the economic report "'U.S. Cities in the 'World City Network'" ([http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20050222_worldcities.htm Key Findings], [http://www.brookings.edu/dybdocroot/metro/pubs/20050222_worldcities.pdf Full Report]).

Famous Businesses of Milan

- Giorgio Armani
- Dolce & Gabbana
- Prada
- Gianni Versace
- Pirelli
- Telecom Italia
- Fiera Milano
- Alemagna
- Alfa Romeo
- Motta
- Mediaset
- Bugatti
- Corriere della Sera/RCS
- Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore
- Arnoldo Mondadori Editore
- ENI
- Ferrovie Nord Milano
- Banca Intesa
- Mediobanca
- Aermacchi

Architecture & Places

Principal churches

- Duomo (Milan cathedral)
- Sant'Alessandro
- Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio
- Santa Maria delle Grazie (with Leonardo's "Last Supper")
- San Babila
- San Bernardino alle Ossa
- Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio
- Basilica di San Lorenzo Santa Maria delle Grazie
- San Marco
- Santuario di Santa Maria dei Miracoli
- Santa Maria del Carmine
- Basilica di San Nazaro Maggiore
- Santa Maria presso San Satiro
- San Sebastiano
- San Simpliciano
- Santo Stefano Maggiore

Famous monuments

- Alessandro Manzoni in Piazza San Fedele
- Colonne di San Lorenzo
- Disc of Pomodoro
- Fontana del Piermarini in Piazza Fontana
- Mazzini's monument in Piazza della Repubblica
- Monumento Cinque Giornate
- Napoleone of Canova in Brera
- Statua di Oldrado da Trasseno del Palazzo della Ragione
- San Carlo Borromeo in Piazza Borromeo
- Leonardo's monument in Piazza della Scala
- Roman amphitheatre (scant remains)
- Archi di Porta Nuova
- Leonardo da Vinci's Horse Statue at Hippodrome
- "The Needle and the Yarn" in Piazza Cadorna

Notable architecture

- Duomo Duomo
- Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle)
- Ca' Granda (University of Milan)
- Palazzo della Ragione
- Palazzo Reale
- Teatro alla Scala
- Central Station (the biggest Italian station)
- Palazzo Serbelloni
- Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
- Velasca Tower
- Pirelli Tower (seat of Lombardy Region and the highest italian skyscraper)
- New Milan Fair Complex of M. Fuksas (in Rho-Pero)

Culture & Art

Pirelli Tower Milan is one of the most important centres in the world for Opera lirica, with its famous Teatro alla Scala (La Scala, theatre). The Biblioteca Ambrosiana contains drawings and notebooks by Leonardo da Vinci among its vast holdings of books, manuscripts and drawings and is one of the main repositories of European culture. The city is also the home of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. In the church Santa Maria delle Grazie can be found one of the most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci: The Last Supper (it: "Cenacolo"). Milan is well known for is its enormous graffiti problem. It is internationally regarded as having one of the worst problems in Europe, mainly caused by the city's local youth. It is layered in many parts of the towns and has made its impact throughout the city. This is believed to be caused by Milan's anti-graffiti laws, which Milan residents largely regard as a joke.

Museums & Exhibitions

- Pinacoteca di Brera
- Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
- Galleria d'Arte Moderna
- Triennale di Milano
- Castello Sforzesco
- Museo Egizio
- Museo Poldi Pezzoli
- Museo della Preistoria e Protostoria
- Museo d’Arte Antica
- Palazzo Reale
- Museo Teatro alla Scala
- Padiglione di Arte Contemporanea
- Museo di Storia Naturale
- Museo della Scienza e della Tecnica "Leonardo da Vinci"
- Galleria Vinciana
- Museo Bagatti Valsecchi
- Museo degli Strumenti Musicali
- Museo delle Arti Decorative
- Museo Archeologico
- Museo di Milano
- Museo di Storia Contemporanea
- Museo del Risorgimento

Theaters

- Teatro alla Scala
- Arcimboldi
- Piccolo teatro
- Teatro Lirico
- Teatro Carcano
- CRT - Teatro dell'Arte
- Manzoni
- Ventaglio Nazionale
- Nuovo
- Nuovo Piccolo Teatro
- Piccolo Teatro di Milano
- San Babila
- Smeraldo
- Ciak
- Della 14a
- Filodrammatici
- Litta
- Olmetto
- Out Off
- L'Elfo
- Porta Romana
- Franco Parenti
- Teatro Studio
- Verdi

Universities

- Politecnico di Milano
- Università Statale
- Università Statale Milano-Bicocca
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Università Bocconi
- Scuola Superiore di Direzione Aziendale - Bocconi
- Università I.U.L.M.
- Università C.Cattaneo L.I.U.C.
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele
- L.U.C. Beato Angelico
- Accademia delle Belle Arti di Brera
- Conservatorio Superiore "G. Verdi" di Milano
- Istituto Europeo di Design
- I.S.E.F.

Transportation

Airports

The city has a large international airport known as Malpensa International Airport (MXP), located in Varese, Italy and connected at the downtown with the railway service called "Malpensa Express" (from Cadorna Station). Milan has also the Linate Airport (LIN) within the city limits (for european-national traffic) and connected with BUS line 73 (from S. Babila).

Subways, tramways, and buses

Linate Airport Linate Airport Milan has 3 subway lines (M1 - red, M2 - green, M3 - yellow) and the system, called Milan Metro - "M", runs for more than 80 km. There is also a light metro-service called "Metrò S. Raffaele", that connects the S. Raffaele Hospital with the Cascina Gobba station (M2). Extensions of line 1, 2 and 3 are under construction, giving more than 15 km of track with 10 new stations. Line 5 is also under construction and will be finished in the first half of 2008. Line 4 (link with downtown and Linate Airport) and 6 are in planning stages. Milan also has one of the most extensive tramway systems in the world, with more than 286 km of tracks and 20 lines connecting Greater Milan. There are 93 bus lines covering over 1,070 km amongst them. The local transportation authority (ATM) transported more than 600 million passengers in 2003 .

National Railway

Milan is one of the most important railway hubs of Italy, and the 5 major stations of Milan are among Italy's busiest:
- Milano Centrale (passenger station - the second italian station)
- Milano P.ta Garibaldi (passenger station)
- Milano Lambrate (passenger station)
- Milano Rogoredo (passenger station)
- Milano Greco (passenger station)
- Milano San Cristoforo (passenger and cargo station)
- Milano Porta Romana (passenger and cargo station)
- Milano Certosa (passenger station)
- Milano Smistamento/Scalo Farini (cargo-trains). Three new stations for passenger service are under construction:
- Milano Romolo
- Milano Tibaldi
- Milano/Rho Fiera High speed train lines are under contruction all across Italy, and in the next 3 years new lines will be opened from Milan to Rome and Naples and from Milan to Torino. The stations for the TAV (Treni ad Alta Velocità - High Speed Trains) will be:
- Milano Rogoredo (for the south)
- Milano Certosa and Milano/Rho Fiera (for the West) The line from Milan to Venice and then to Trieste is partially under construction. At the end of the work the station for the TAV from Milan to the East will be:
- Milano Pioltello

Regional-Metropolitan Railway services

The Suburban Railway Service (called "S" Lines, a service similar to the French RER and German S-Bahn), composed of 8 suburban lines (10 scheduled for 2008), connects the "Greater Milan" and other cities, like Como or Varese. The Regional Railway Service (called "R"), instead, links Milan with the rest of Lombardy and with the national railway system. The "Passante ferroviario" is an underground railway serving a couple of "S" lines and is very much like another subway line (and is even marked as such on subway maps), except that it is connected to the FNME and Trenitalia suburban networks.

Taxis

Milan has an efficient Taxi service, operated by private companies and licensed by the City of Milan (Comune di Milano). All taxis are the same color: white. Prices are based on time elapsed and distance traveled.

Sports

Football is the most important sport in Italy, and Milan is home of 2 world-famous football teams: A.C. Milan and Internazionale. Milan is the only city in Europe where teams have won both the Champions European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. Both teams play at Giuseppe Meazza - San Siro Stadium (85,700). Many of the strongest Italian players of Football were born in Milano or in the nerby Metropolitan Area: Valentino Mazzola, Renzo De Vecchi, Paolo Maldini, Giuseppe Meazza, Giacinto Facchetti, Gianni Rivera, Paolo Rossi, Luigi Riva, Gaetano Scirea, Giuseppe Bergomi, Walter Zenga, Antonio Cabrini, Roberto Donadoni, Gianluca Vialli, Silvio Piola, Virginio Rosetta, Giampiero Boniperti, Giuseppe Dossena, Gabriele Oriali, Giuseppe Signori, Ugo Locatelli, Giampiero Marini, Aristide Guarneri, Paolino Pulici, Marcello Lippi, Giovanni Trapattoni, Franco e Giuseppe Baresi, Luigi Cevenini, Virgilio e Giuseppe Fossati, Giovanni Ferrari... ----
- The famous Monza Formula One circuit is located in the suburbs. It one of the world's oldest car racing circuits, and one of the most famous. The capacity for the F1 races is around 137,000 people.
- Olimpia Milano is a successful European basketball team that have won 3 European Cups, a World Cup, 3 Winners' Cups, 2 Korac Cups and 25 National Championships. It is the most important Italian team and one of the top 5 in Europe. Olimpia play at Forum (capacity of 14,000 people).
- The Amatory Rugby Club Milano have won 18 National Championships and are the most famous and important Rugby team of Italy.
- Different ice hockey teams from Milan have won 30 National Championships between them. Today the Vipers Milano have won the last 4 national championships, the Alpenliga and several Coppa Italia, and are the leaders of that sport in Italy. They play at the Agora Stadium (capacity 4,500) during the regular season and at the Forum during the playoffs .
- Every year in Milan is played the Bonfiglio Trophy of Tennis for Under 18. It is the most important youth tournament in the world, and is played at the Milan Tennis Club. The Central Court has a capacity of 8000 people. (In the past it has been won by Tacchini, Kodes, Panatta, Barazzutti, Moreno, Borg, Smid, Lendl, Forget, Curier, Ivanisevic, Kafelnikov, Coira) Milan and Lombardy are candidate for the Summer Olympic Games of 2016 (Milan-Lombardy 2016).

Stadiums

- Autodromo Nazionale Monza - car and moto racing - 137,000
- San Siro - only football - 85,700
- Arena Civica - Athletic, Rugby, Football, 30,000
- Brianteo - Athletic, Football - 18,568
- Ippodromo del Trotter - Horse Racing - 16,000
- Ippodromo del Galoppo - Horse Racing - 15,000
- Forum di Assago - Basket, Ice Hockey, Volley, Music - 13,000 to 16,000
- MazdaPalace - Basket, Volley - 13,500
- Velodromo Vigorelli - Cycling, American Football - 12,000
- PalaLido - Basket - 5,000
- Agorà - Ice Hockey - 4,000
- Nuovo Giuriati - Rugby - 4,000 Other stadiums and multiuse palaces are located in the Metropolitan Area. The biggest are the Monza Brianteo Stadium (18,000 seats), the PalaDesio (10,000) and the Geas Stadium (8,500).

Communication & media

Newspapers

- Corriere della Sera (daily)
- Il Giorno (daily)
- Il Giornale (daily)
- Libero (daily)
- Il Sole 24 Ore (daily)
- Milano Finanza (daily)
- La Padania (daily)
- La Gazzetta dello Sport (daily, sports only)
- Metro (daily)

Magazines

- Panorama (weekly)
- La Settimana Enigmistica (weekly)
- TV Sorrisi & Canzoni (weekly)
- Oggi (weekly)
- Marie Claire (weekly)
- AnnaBella (weekly)
- Explora (monthly)
- Focus (monthly)

TV and radio

- Mediaset (National Hdq)
- RAI (Milan Regional Hdq)
- MTV (South-Europe Hdq)
- Sky Italia (National Hdq)
- Radio Deejay (National Hdq)
- R101
- Radio 105
- Radio 24

Sister cities

Milan has 14 sister cities:
- Bethlehem
- Birmingham, England, [http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/twins Birmingham's Partner City page]
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Krakow, Poland
- Dakar, Senegal
- Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Lyon, France
- Melbourne, Australia
- Osaka, Japan
- Saint Petersburg, Russia
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Shanghai, China
- Tianjin, China
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Thessaloniki, Greece
- Toronto, Canada

External links

- [http://www.comune.milano.it City of Milan - official website]
- [http://www.atm-mi.it/ATM/eng/ ATM - Milan's Transportation Company]
- [http://www.sottomilano.it Milan's Underground System]
- [http://www.italy-weather-and-maps.com/italy/maps/milanmap.php Clickable map of Milan]
- [http://milan.arounder.com/fullscreen.html for broadband: Interactive high quality fullscreen QTVR panoramas]
- [http://www.alberghi-a.milano.it/info.htm useful informations about milan]

Milano Photo Gallery

Image:Duomo 1.jpg|Duomo Image:Duomo lontano.JPG|Duomo Image:IMG 1459.JPG|The Madonnina Statue on the top of Duomo Image:IMG 1551.JPG|View of the rear of the Duomo Image:IMG 1411.JPG|Inside the Duomo Image:IMG 1783.JPG|Leonardo Da Vinci Horse Statue at Hippodrome Image:IMG 1469.JPG|Piazza Duomo Image:IMG 1455.JPG|Piazza Duomo, the Arengario Museum Image:Sambrogio .JPG|Sant'Ambrogio Basilique Image:IMG 1983.JPG|Sant'Ambrogio Basilique Image:218144.jpg|Naviglio Grande Image:Navigliograndenotte.jpg|Naviglio Grande at night Image:Lavandai 1.jpg|Naviglio Grande, Vicolo Lavandai Image:Chiesa 2 borromeo.JPG|Sant'Alessandro Image:Chiesa via san vittore.JPG|San Vittore Image:IMG 0823.JPG|Sant'Eustorgio Basilique Image:Seustorgio facciata.JPG|Sant'Eustorgio Basilique Image:Sanfedele.JPG|San Fedele Image:218178.jpg|Porta Ticinese Image:218139.JPG|Cimitero Monunemtale, the Famedio Image:La scala.JPG|La Scala square and Theatre Image:Cadorna.jpg|Cadorna square: Ago & Filo monument Image:Repubblicamilano.jpg|Financial District Image:Galva.jpg|Torre Galfa Image:Pirellone1.JPG|Pirelli skyscraper Image:Pirellone3.JPG|Pirelli skyscraper Image:Pirelli44.JPG|Pirelli skyscraper Image:PAOLO003.jpg|San Siro Stadium Image:PAOLO009.jpg|San Siro Stadium Image:219579.jpg|San Siro Stadium Image:Certosagaregnano.JPG|Certosa di Garegnano Image:Garegnano44.JPG|Inside the Certosa di Garegnano Image:Centrale546.jpg|Stazione Centrale Image:Corsovem.JPG|Corso Vittorio Emanuele II° Image:Galleria657.JPG|Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II° Image:GALLERIA205.jpg|Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II° Image:IMG 1489.JPG|Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II° Image:Galleria7776.JPG|Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II° Image:Smaurizioinside.jpg|Inside the San Maurizio church Image:Velasca3.JPG|Torre Velasca Image:Svizzero777.jpg|Centro Svizzero Image:Pharmaciabn.JPG|Gemini Center Image:Turati2331.jpg|Via Turati Image:Sansatiro5.jpg|Inside the San Satiro church: Bramante's trompe l'oeil Category:Milan Category:Roman sites of Lombardy Category:Cities in Lombardy ko:밀라노 ja:ミラノ simple:Milan

15 May

May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). There are 230 days remaining.

Events

- 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad extirpanda, which authorizes the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition. Torture quickly gains widespread usage across Catholic Europe.
- 1514 - Jodocus Badius Ascensius publishes Christiern Pedersen's Latin version of Saxo’s Gesta Danorum, the oldest known version of that work.
- 1525 - The battle of Frankenhausen ends the Peasants' War.
- 1602 - Bartholomew Gosnold becomes the first European to see Cape Cod.
- 1618 - Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made).
- 1701 - The War of the Spanish Succession begins.
- 1718 - James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun.
- 1756 - The Seven Years' War begins when England declares war on France.
- 1776 - American Revolution: Virginia convention instructs its delegates to propose a declaration of independence from Great Britain.
- 1795 - First Coalition: Napoleon I of France enters Milan in triumph.
- 1836 - Francis Baily observes "Baily's beads" during an annular eclipse.
- 1851 - Rama IV is crowned King of Thailand.
- 1858 - The third Royal Opera House officially opens in London.
- 1862 - President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture (later renamed USDA).
- 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Resaca, Georgia ends.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of New Market, Virginia – Students from the Virginia Military Institute fight alongside the Confederate Army to force Union General Franz Sigel out of the Shenandoah Valley.
- 1869 - Woman's suffrage: In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association.
- 1897 - The Greek army retreats with heavy losses in Greco-Turkish War
- 1902 - In a field outside Grass Valley, California, Lyman Gilmore reportedly becomes the first person to fly a powered airplane (a steam-powered glider).
- 1905 - Las Vegas, Nevada, is founded when 110 acres (0.4 km²), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off.
- 1911 - The United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be dissolved.
- 1914 - Bolivia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
- 1918 - Civil War in Finland ends.
- 1918 - The US Post Office Department (later renamed the USPS) begins the first regular airmail service in the world (between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC).
- 1919 - The Winnipeg General Strike began. By 11:00, virtually the entire working population of Winnipeg had walked off the job.
- 1928 - Release of the animated short "Plane Crazy", featuring the first appearances of Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
- 1930 - Aboard a Boeing tri-motor, Ellen Church becomes the first airline stewardess, on a flight from Oakland, California to Chicago, Illinois.
- 1932 - The May 15 Incident. In an attempted coup the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is killed.
- 1934 - The United States Department of Justice offers a $25,000 reward for John Dillinger.
- 1934 - Kārlis Ulmanis establishes an authoritarian government in Latvia.
- 1940 - Nylon stockings go on sale for the first time in the United States.
- 1940 - World War II: German troops occupy Amsterdam and invade Northern France.
- 1941 - Baseball player Joe DiMaggio starts his record-breaking 56-game hitting streak.
- 1942 - World War II: In the United States, a bill creating the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) is signed into law.
- 1943 - Joseph Stalin dissolves the Comintern (or Third International).
- 1945 - Last skirmish of the Second World War in Europe fought near Prevalje, Slovenia.
- 1948 - Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia attack Israel.
- 1951 - The Polish cultural attache in Paris, Czeslaw Milosz, asks the French government for political asylum.
- 1955 - Austrian Independence Treaty signed.
- 1955 - First ascent of Makalu, the world's fifth highest mountain.
- 1957 - Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb in Operation Grapple.
- 1958 - The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3.
- 1960 - The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 4.
- 1963 - Mercury program: America launches the last mission of the program, Mercury 9 (on June 12 NASA Administrator James E. Webb told Congress the program was complete).
- 1964 - The Smothers Brothers give their first concert in Carnegie Hall in New York City.
- 1970 - The Beatles' last LP, Let It Be, is released in the United States.
- 1970 - President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army Generals.
- 1970 - Philip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green killed at Jackson State University by police during student protests.
- 1972 - The island of Okinawa, under US military governance since its conquest in 1945, reverts to Japanese control.
- 1972 - In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while Wallace is campaigning to be American President.
- 1978 - Lagumot Harris, having only been elected President less than a month before, is replaced as the leader of the republic of Nauru. He is succeeded by Hammer DeRoburt.
- 1981- Concert in Caracas of El Trabuco Venezolano and Irakere (Second day).
- 1988 - Soviet war in Afghanistan: After more than eight years of fighting, the Red Army begins its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
- 1990 - Portrait of Doctor Gachet by Vincent van Gogh is sold for a record $82.5 million, the most expensive painting at the time.
- 1991 - Edith Cresson becomes France's first female prime minister.
- 1992 - The Genoa Expo '92 World's Fair opens in Genoa, Italy.
- 2004 - The largest prime number to be discovered, 2^24036583 − 1, is found by Josh Findley and the GIMPS collaborative effort.

Births

- 1567 - Claudio Monteverdi, Italian composer (d. 1643)
- 1720 - Maximilian Hell, Slovakian astronomer (d. 1792)
- 1773 - Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, Austrian statesman (d. 1859)
- 1817 - Debendranath Tagore, Indian religious reformer (d. 1905)
- 1856 - L. Frank Baum, American author (d. 1919)
- 1857 - Williamina Fleming, Scottish-born astronomer (d. 1911)
- 1859 - Pierre Curie, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1906)
- 1862 - Arthur Schnitzler, Austrian dramatist and narrator (d. 1931)
- 1890 - Katherine Anne Porter, American author (d. 1980)
- 1891 - Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian writer (d. 1940)
- 1892 - Jimmy Wilde, boxer (d. 1969)
- 1895 - William D. Byron, U.S. Congressman (d. 1941)
- 1898 - Arletty, French model and actress (d. 1992)
- 1899 - Jean-Etienne Valluy, French general (d. 1970)
- 1902 - Richard J. Daley, Mayor of Chicago (d. 1976)
- 1905 - Joseph Cotten, American actor (d. 1994)
- 1909 - James Mason, English actor (d. 1984)
- 1911 - Max Frisch, Swiss author (d. 1991)
- 1914 - Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese sherpa (d. 1986)
- 1915 - Paul Samuelson, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1918 - Eddy Arnold, American singer
- 1922 - Setouchi Jakucho, Japanese writer and Buddhist nun
- 1923 - Richard Avedon, American photographer (d. 2004)
- 1923 - John Lanchbery, English composer (d. 2003)
- 1926 - Anthony Shaffer, English playwright (d. 2001)
- 1926 - Peter Shaffer, English playwright
- 1930 - Jasper Johns, American painter
- 1931 - Ken Venturi, American golfer
- 1936 - Anna Maria Alberghetti, Italian-born actress
- 1936 - Hugh Romney, American clown and activist
- 1936 - Paul Zindel, American writer (d. 2003)
- 1937 - Madeline Albright, U.S. Secretary of State
- 1937 - Trini López, American musician
- 1941 - K.T. Oslin, American musician
- 1944 - Ulrich Beck, German sociologist
- 1945 - Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
- 1948 - Brian Eno, English musician and record producer
- 1951 - Chazz Palminteri, American actor
- 1951 - Jonathan Richman, American musician
- 1951 - Frank Wilczek, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1953 - George Brett, baseball player
- 1953 - Mike Oldfield, English composer
- 1955 - Melinda Culea, American actress
- 1956 - Dan Patrick, American sportscaster
- 1958 - Ron Simmons, American professional wrestler
- 1959 - Andrew Eldritch, English singer and songwriter (The Sisters of Mercy)
- 1959 - Kaokor Galaxy, Thai boxer
- 1959 - Khaosai Galaxy, Thai boxer
- 1962 - Melle Mel, American musician
- 1965 - Raí, Brazilian footballer
- 1967 - John Smoltz, baseball player
- 1969 - Emmitt Smith, American football player
- 1970 - Rod Smith, American football player
- 1972 - David Charvet, French actor
- 1974 - Andrew Johns, Australian rugby player
- 1974 - Ahmet Zappa, American musician
- 1975 - Ray Lewis, American football player
- 1976 - Tyler Walker, baseball player
- 1978 - Amy Chow, American gymnast
- 1981 - Jamie-Lynn DiScala, American actress
- 1982 - Veronica Campbell, Jamaican athlete
- 1983 - Devin Bronson, American guitarist (Avril Lavigne)
- 1997 - E.D Calvo, comic book artist and tae kwon do extraordinare

Deaths

- 1036 - Emperor Go-Ichijō of Japan (b. 1008)
- 1157 - Yury Dolgoruky, Russian prince
- 1174 - Nur ad-Din, ruler of Syria (b. 1118)
- 1381 - Eppelein von Gailingen, German robber baron
- 1470 - Charles VIII of Sweden (b. 1409)
- 1585 - Niwa Nagahide, Japanese warlord (b. 1535)
- 1591 - Dmitry Ivanovich, Tsarevich (b. 1582)
- 1609 - Giovanni Croce, Italian composer (b. 1557)
- 1634 - Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (b. 1585)
- 1698 - Marie Champmeslé, French actress (b. 1642)
- 1699 - Edward Petre, English Jesuit and privy councilor (b. 1631)
- 1714 - Roger Elliott, British general and Governor of Gibraltar
- 1740 - Ephraim Chambers, English encyclopaedist (b. 1680)
- 1760 - Alaungpaya, King of Burma (b. 1711)
- 1773 - Alban Butler, English Catholic priest and writer (b. 1710)
- 1782 - Marquis of Pombal, Prime Minister of Portugal (b. 1699)
- 1886 - Emily Dickinson, American poet (b. 1830)
- 1924 - Paul-Henri-Benjamin d'Estournelles de Constant, French diplomat, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1852)
- 1935 - Kazimir Malevich, Ukrainian artist (b. 1878)
- 1937 - Phillip Snowden, British politician (b. 1864)
- 1940 - Menno ter Braak , Dutch author and polemicist (b. 1902 )
- 1948 - Father Edward Flanagan, American priest and founder of Boys Town (b. 1886)
- 1956 - Austin Osman Spare, English magician (b. 1886)
- 1967 - Edward Hopper, American painter (b. 1882)
- 1971 - Sir Tyrone Guthrie, English director, producer, and writer (b. 1900)
- 1986 - Theodore H. White, American writer (b. 1915)
- 1991 - Andreas Floer, German mathematician (b. 1956)
- 1994 - Gilbert Roland, Mexican actor (b. 1904)
- 1995 - Eric Porter, British actor (b. 1928)
- 1996 - Charles B. Fulton, American jurist (b. 1910)
- 1998 - Earl Manigault, American basketball player (b. 1944)
- 2003 - June Carter Cash, American musician and singer (b. 1929)
- 2003 - George Francis, British gangster (b. 1940)
- 2003 - Rik Van Steenbergen, Belgian cyclist (b. 1924)
- 2005 - Les Bartley, lacrosse coach (b. 1954)

Holidays and observances

- Feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
- Denise
- Saint Achillius
- Dympna
- Reticius
- Jean-Baptiste de la Salle
- Paraguay - Independence Day. Celebrations for the anniversary of the independence begin on Flag Day, 14 May.
- Roman Empire - Mercuralia in honor of Mercury held.
- International day of families.
- International day of climate changes.
- International conscientious objectors' day
- Buddha's Birthday in Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea (2005)
- United States - Peace Officers Memorial Day
- Slovenia - Day of Slovenian armed forces
- Mexico - Teacher's Day (Día del Maestro)

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/15 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.tnl.net/when/5/15 Today in History: May 15] ---- May 14 - May 16 - April 15 - June 15 – listing of all days ko:5월 15일 ja:5月15日 simple:May 15 th:15 พฤษภาคม

1910

1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar).

Events

January-April

- January - In Greece, the Military League forces parliament and George I of Greece to summon National Assembly to revise Constitution.
- January 15 - In the United Kingdom, General Election held in response to House of Lords rejection of the (1909) budget results in reduced Liberal Party majority (Liberals, 275 seats; Labour, 40; Irish Nationalists, 82; Unionists (the title then preferred by the British Conservative Party), 273).
- January 16 - Constant rains in Paris, France cause the Seine to overflow its banks, flooding the city. All but one line of the Paris Métro become filled with water, effectively draining water from the city.
- February 20 - Boutros Ghali, first native born prime minister of Egypt, assassinated.
- March - Uprising against Ottoman rule breaks out in Albania.
- March 19 - In America, Republicans reduce the powers of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to influence Committee membership.
- April - Albanian revolt suppressed by Turkish army.
- April 27 - Louis Botha and James Hertzog (James Barry Munnik Hertzog) found South Africa Party.
- April 27 - British House of Commons passes David Lloyd George's (1909) 'People's Budget' for second time; passed by House of Lords, 28 April
- April 29 - Andrew Fisher becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the second time.

May-July

- May 6 - George V becomes King of the United Kingdom upon the death of his father, Edward VII.
- May 11 - U.S. Congress establishes Glacier National Park in Montana.
- May 16 - The U.S. Congress authorizes the creation of the United States Bureau of Mines.
- May 18 - The earth passes through the tail of Comet Halley.
- May 31 - creation of the Union of South Africa.
- June - Edinburgh Missionary Conference is held in Scotland, presided over by Nobel Peace Prize recipient John R. Mott, launching the modern ecumenical movement and the modern missions movement.
- June 22 - First flight of Zeppelin airship.
- July 2 - Demonstrations in France against public executions.
- July 4 -