| DATE | BRIEF DESCRIPTION |
| 1883 | Born July 29 in Predappio, Italy. |
| 1912 | Editor of the Socialist Party newspaper Avanti! |
| 1914 | Denounces World War I, but quickly changes his mind, calling for Italy's entry on the Allied side. Expelled from the Socialist Party. Starts his own newspaper, Il Popolo d'Italia. |
| 1915 | Enlists in the Italian Army. |
| 1919 | Forms the nationalistic, anti-liberal, anti-socialist movement, "Fasci di Combattimento", its name taken from the fasces, a symbol of Roman discipline. |
| 1922 | Fascists threaten to march on Rome. Invited to form a government by King Victor Emmanuel III. Sets about establishing a totalitarian regime. |
| 1929 | Lateran Treaty with the Vatican stabilizes relations between Church and State. |
| 1935 | Italy invades Abyssinia. |
| 1936 | Signs agreement with Hitler creating the "Axis powers". |
| 1940 | Italy enters World War II on the fall of France; joins Germany in its war against the British in Africa and invades Greece. |
| 1943 | Military defeats lead to King Victor Emmanuel dismissing him from power. Imprisoned, but rescued by the Germans, who force him to establish a puppet Social Republic in northern Italy. |
| 1945 | With the Allied advance, he attempts escape to Switzerland, but is captured and shot by Italian partisans, April 28. |
