Giannini, Amadeo Peter

1870 - Born on the 6th of May in San Jose, California.

1990 - Envisioned bank doing business in all parts of a state or the nation would be less vulnerable to any one region's difficulties. It would therefore be strong enough to lend to troubled communities when they were most in need.

1904 - He raised $150,000 from his stepfather and 10 friends and opened the Bank of Italy.

         - Giannini opened the Bank of Italy in a former San Francisco, California saloon on the 17th of October.

1919 - He organized Bancitaly Corp. as a launching pad for statewide expansion.

1923 - He created a motion-picture loan division and helped Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith start United Artists. When Walt Disney ran $2 million over budget on Snow White, Giannini stepped in with a loan.

1930 - He moved to Europe, convinced that his successor would carry on in his spirit but during the Great Depression, TransAmerica management switched focus.

1932 - A proxy fight because of the great depression, he knocked on doors again, getting all those working-class shareholders to give him their votes.

1949 - He died on the 3rd of June in San Mateo, California.