Silvio Berlusconi

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Silvio Berlusconi

Role / Field:

Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister multiple times.

Born:

1936-09-29

Died:

2023-06-12

Century / Era:

1936s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Silvio Berlusconi ( BAIR-luu-SKOH-nee; Italian: [ˈsilvjo berluˈskoːni] ; 29 September 1936 – 12 June 2023) was an Italian media tycoon and politician who served as the prime minister of Italy in three governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1994 to 2013; a member of the Senate of the Republic from 2022 until his death in 2023, and previously from March to November 2013; and a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2019 to 2022, and previously from 1999 to 2001. At the time of his death in 2023, he had a net worth of US$6.8 billion according to Forbes, making him the 352nd-richest man in the world and the third-wealthiest person in Italy. Berlusconi rose into the financial elite of Italy in the late 1960s. He was the controlling shareholder of Mediaset and owned the Italian football club AC Milan from 1986 to 2017.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was nicknamed Il Cavaliere ('The Knight') for his Order of Merit for Labour; he voluntarily resigned from this order in March 2014. In 2009, Forbes ranked him 12th in the list of the World's Most Powerful People due to his domination of Italian politics throughout more than fifteen years at the head of the centre-right coalition. Berlusconi was prime minister for nine years in total, making him the longest serving post-war prime minister of Italy, and the third-longest-serving since Italian unification, after Benito Mussolini and Giovanni Giolitti. He was the leader of the centre-right party Forza Italia from 1994 to 2009, and its successor party The People of Freedom from 2009 to 2013. He led the revived Forza Italia from 2013 to 2023.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Berlusconi was the senior G8 leader from 2009 until 2011, and he held the record for hosting G8 summits (having hosted three summits in Italy). After serving nearly 19 years as a member of the Chamber of Deputies, the country's lower house, he became a member of the Senate following the 2013 Italian general election. On 1 August 2013, Berlusconi was convicted of tax fraud by the Supreme Court of Cassation. His four-year prison sentence was confirmed, and he was banned from holding public office for two years. Aged 76, he was exempted from direct imprisonment, and instead served his sentence by doing unpaid community service.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1936 (1936-09-29): Birth of Silvio Berlusconi — Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister multiple times.
2. 1986: 1986 Milestone — He was the controlling shareholder of Mediaset and owned the Italian football club AC Milan from 1986 to 2017.
3. 1994: 1994 Milestone — He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1994 to 2013; a member of the Senate of the Republic from 2022 until his death in 2023, and previously from March to November 2013; and a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2019 to 2022, and previously from 1999 to 2001.
4. 2009: 2009 Milestone — In 2009, Forbes ranked him 12th in the list of the World's Most Powerful People due to his domination of Italian politics throughout more than fifteen years at the head of the centre-right coalition.
5. 2013: 2013 Milestone — He led the revived Forza Italia from 2013 to 2023.
6. 2014: 2014 Milestone — He was nicknamed Il Cavaliere ('The Knight') for his Order of Merit for Labour; he voluntarily resigned from this order in March 2014.
7. 2023 (2023-06-12): Passing & Historical Legacy — Silvio Berlusconi passed away on 2023-06-12, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Silvio Berlusconi

True or False: “Silvio Berlusconi was never involved in the ownership of major Italian media channels during his peak power.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): During his height of power, he owned three of Italy's main TV channels and indirectly controlled the national broadcasting company RAI.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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Frequently Asked Questions about Silvio Berlusconi