Rita Levi-Montalcini
An Italian neurobiologist who unlocked the secret of how nerves grow, reshaping our understanding of the brain and earning a Nobel Prize.
1909–2012 (age 103)·Italian neurologist·Birthday: April 22·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Rita Levi-Montalcini’s scientific journey was forged in defiance. As a young woman in fascist Italy, she defied both her father’s wishes and Mussolini’s racial laws, setting up a makeshift laboratory in her bedroom to study chick embryos after being barred from the university. This clandestine work laid the foundation for her life’s pursuit. After the war, she accepted an invitation to Washington University in St. Louis, where a decades-long collaboration began. It was there, through painstaking experiments, that she isolated a protein she called nerve growth factor (NGF), proving that developing cells relied on specific chemical signals to survive and mature. This discovery, initially met with skepticism, revolutionized neurobiology, providing a new framework for understanding developmental disorders, degenerative diseases, and cancer. Levi-Montalcini returned to Italy in her later years, becoming a forceful advocate for science and a senator for life, her intellectual vigor undimmed until her death at 103.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Rita was born in 1909, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rita Was Born
The biggest hits of 1909
Rita's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1909Born
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1914Started school
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Became a teenager
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1925Could drive
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1927Could vote
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1930Turned 21
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1939Turned 30
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 40
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 50
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 60
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 70
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 80
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
2012Died at 103
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of nerve growth factor (NGF).
- Served as a Senator for Life in the Italian Senate, appointed for her outstanding scientific and social contributions.
- Founded the European Brain Research Institute in Rome to foster interdisciplinary neurological study.
- Was the first Nobel laureate to reach the age of 100, continuing her research advocacy for decades after her prize.
Did You Know?
She conducted her early research on chick embryos in a secret home laboratory during World War II.
She never married or had children, famously stating, "My life has been enriched by excellent human relations, work and interests. I have never felt lonely."
She was appointed a Senator for Life by the Italian President in 2001.
She published her last scientific paper at the age of 100.
““If I had not been discriminated against or had not suffered persecution, I would never have received the Nobel Prize.””
