Short answers, pulled from the story.
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini entered the world on the 22nd of December 1858 in Lucca, a city steeped in musical tradition. His family lineage traced back to Giacomo Puccini, born in 1712 and known as Jacopo, who served as maestro di cappella at the Cattedrale di San Martino.
Two operas universally classified as verismo include Tosca and Il tabarro from his triptych. Madama Butterfly and La Fanciulla del West also appear within the movement though scholars debate their classification.
Their son Antonio was born in Monza in 1886 after Elvira left Lucca to avoid gossip about her pregnancy. Documents discovered in 2007 suggested Puccini actually maintained an affair with Giulia Manfredi, Doria's cousin, potentially fathering her son Antonio.
Giacomo died on the 29th of November 1924 following complications from experimental radiation therapy administered in Brussels. Uncontrolled bleeding caused heart attack after surgery leading to his passing aged sixty-five years old.
The opera premiered at La Scala on the 25th of April 1926 featuring memorable stand-alone arias including Nessun dorma. Franco Alfano completed the final two scenes based on sketches left behind by the composer.