Education is the key to preserving our heritage and culture. Thirty-One Days of Italians releases its 2020-21 List on thirtyonedaysofitalians.com. The List provides a person of Italian heritage to learn about and celebrate for each day in October, Italian American Heritage Month. 

In 2006, a directory of Italians and Italian Americans who should be recognized for their extraordinary achievements was compiled and a website was created. The website features 74 names, but the annual List is limited to 31 – one for each day in October. 

The first day in October honors the Italian immigrant and the last day is set aside to honor someone not on the List. Honorary Members are on the List every year. In alphabetical order, they are Father Pietro Bandini, Constantino Brumidi, Mother Francis Cabrini, Enrico Caruso, Christopher Columbus, Enrico Fermi, Amadeo Pietro Giannini, Guglielmo Marconi, Filippo Mazzei, Antonio Meucci, Maria Montessori, Andrea Palladio, Antonio Pasin, Arturo Toscanini, and Amerigo Vespucci. 

Other names are rotated, giving everyone on Thirty-One Days of Italians a chance to have their day. The 2020-21 List includes (in alphabetical order) Mario Andretti, Giacomo Costantino Beltrami, Charles J. Bonaparte, Frank Capra, Giovanni da Verrazzano, Luigi Del Bianco, Daniela Gioseffi, Grucci Family, Jacuzzi Family, Mario Lanza, Robert Mondavi, Amedeo Obici, Sabato Rodia, and Giovanni Schiavo. 

See the complete calendar of names and learn more about them at Thirty-One Days of Italians 2020-21 List. 

Author, educator, and researcher Janice Therese Mancuso established Thirty-One Days of Italians to promote the significant contributions that those of Italian heritage have made to America. She was awarded a grant from the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) and a grant from the Italian Historical Society of America (IHSA). She is the director of the Italian American Press, founder of the Italian American Heritage Project, and publisher of Tutto Italiano, an e-newsletter established in 2004.