Profile of the Day: Giacomo Puccini

On this day in 1858, Italian composer Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca, Italy.

Image: Giacomo Puccini / Library of Congress

He was born Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini to Michele Puccine and Albina Magi. One of nine children, Puccini had come from a long line of musicians. His second great grandfather, also named Giacomo Puccini, was the first of five generations of composers in the family.

Remembered as one of the greatest Italian opera composers, many of Puccini’s works continue to be one of the most often performed in opera history. His most popular works include La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, and Tosca.

Although he had found much success in his career, Puccini’s personal life was plagued with scandal. Before his death, Puccini had been diagnosed with throat cancer. He died on November 29, 1924 in Brussels after suffering complications from a new and experimental radiation therapy treatment. At the time of his death, Puccini had become the most commercially successful opera composer in history.