The first episode of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio is published in Italy

Background. Carlo Collodi, born Carlo Lorenzini, was an Italian author, humourist, and journalist known for his fairy tale novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Before writing Pinocchio, he composed satirical sketches and didactic children's stories for the recently unified Italy, including 'Little Johnny's voyage through Italy.' In 1880, he began writing 'Story of a Marionette,' which was published weekly in the children's magazine Giornale per i bambini.

Publication. The story was originally published in serial form as 'The Story of a Puppet' in the Giornale per i bambini between 7 July 1881 and 25 January 1883. The first episode appeared on 7 July 1881. The complete story concluded after 30 chapters across 26 issues, illustrated by Ugo Fleres. In February 1883, the tale was published as a single-volume book in Florence, illustrated by Enrico Mazzanti.

Legacy. The Adventures of Pinocchio is the world's third most translated book, appearing in 240–260 languages, and was the first work of Italian children's literature to achieve international fame. Its fame grew when it was translated into English in 1892. The story is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocchio.