Today in History: November 1, Mussolini extols 'axis' alliance with Nazi Germany

FILE – File photo dated June 14, 1934 of dictators Adolf Hitler of Germany, at left, and Benito Mussolini of Italy, greeting each other as they meet at the airfield in Venice, northern Italy. The Italian “Il Duce” and his fascists put on a great show for der Fuhrer, but on the details of their subsequent conversations there was little news. Mussolini was a fierce anti-Semite, who proudly said that his hatred for Jews preceded Adolf Hitler’s and vowed to “destroy them all,” according to previously unpublished diaries by the Fascist dictator’s longtime mistress. According to the diaries, Mussolini also talked about the warm reception he got from Hitler at the 1938 Munich conference – he called the German leader a “softie” – and attacked Pope Pius XI for his criticism of Nazism and Fascism. The dairies kept by Claretta Petacci, Mussolini’s mistress, between 1932 and 1938 are the subject of a book coming out the week beginning Monday Nov. 16, 2009, in Italy, entitled “Secret Mussolini.” Excerpts were published Monday by Italy’s leading daily Corriere della Sera and confirmed by publisher Rizzoli. On a more intimate note, Mussolini was explicit about his sexual appetites for his mistress and said he regretted having affairs with several other women. (AP Photo, FILE)

PUBLISHED: November 1, 2025 at 2:00 AM MDT

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Today is Saturday, Nov. 1, the 305th day of 2025. There are 60 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 1, 1936, in a speech in Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini described the alliance between his country and Nazi Germany as an “axis” running between Rome and Berlin.

Also on this date:

In 1765, the Stamp Act, passed by the British Parliament, went into effect, prompting stiff resistance from American colonists.

In 1861, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln named Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan General-in-Chief of the Union armies, succeeding Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott.

In 1894, Nicholas II became Emperor of Russia, succeeding his late father Alexander III.

In 1938, in a two-horse match, Seabiscuit defeated the favored Triple Crown winner War Admiral by four lengths in what was dubbed the “Race of the Century” at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

In 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to force their way into Blair House in Washington, D.C., in a failed attempt to assassinate President Harry S. Truman. (One of the pair was killed, along with a White House police officer.)

In 1982, the first Japanese car produced in the U.S. rolled off the assembly line at the Honda manufacturing plant in Marysville, Ohio.

In 1989, East Germany reopened its border with Czechoslovakia, prompting tens of thousands of refugees to flee to the West. East Germany would announce on Nov. 9 that it was opening its border crossings with West Berlin, prompting the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In 1993, The Maastricht Treaty takes effect, formally establishing the European Union and a new era of integration and economic cooperation among its member states.

In 1995, peace talks opened in Dayton, Ohio, with leaders of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia present. The talks would lead to the formal signing the next month in Paris of the Dayton Peace Accord, signaling an end to the more than 3-year-old Bosnian war that erupted after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

Today’s Birthdays:

Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player is 90.
Football Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks is 78.
Music producer David Foster is 76.
Musician Lyle Lovett is 68.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is 65.
Rock singer Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 63.
Country singer “Big Kenny” Alphin (Big and Rich) is 62.
Actor Toni Collette is 53.
Actor-TV host Jenny McCarthy is 53.
Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is 52.
Football Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson is 48.
Actor Natalia Tena is 41.
Actor Penn Badgley is 39.
Actor Anthony Ramos is 34.

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