1979 in Italy

Incumbents

• President – Sandro Pertini
• Prime Minister – Giulio Andreotti ; Francesco Cossiga

Events

• Tuscia University is founded.

Births

• 10 January – Francesca Piccinini, volleyball player
• 16 February– Valentino Rossi, motorcycle racer
• 17 April – Silvia Bosurgi, water polo player
• 4 May – Tania Di Mario, water polo player
• 19 May – Andrea Pirlo, football player and coach
• 27 June – Fabrizio Miccoli, former professional footballer
• 13 July – Silvia Weissteiner, long-distance runner
• 25 September – Michele Scarponi, road racing cyclist
• 13 November – Riccardo Scamarcio, actor and producer
• 17 December – Rosaria Console, runner

Deaths

• 20 February – Nereo Rocco, Italian football player and manager
• 2 May – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 5 September – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal
• 24 September – Vasco Bergamaschi, Italian road racing cyclist
• 21 December – Nino Pavese, Italian actor