
Apart from 'the first', which is 'il primo', cardinal numbers are used with dates. The word for 'of' when giving the date in Italian is optional.
For example:
To say 'on' with a date, simply use the form 'il dieci marzo del 1978'.
'Nel' is used when giving the year only:
Anna รจ nata nel 1978 - Anna was born in 1978.