Florence Nightingale was born in 1820 into a rich British family in Florence, Italy. She received modern education as her father William Edward Nightingale was supportive of women’s education.
1. Florence believed that she was called by the voice of God to serve the weak and the wounded.
In 1853, Florence was appointed as the Superintendent of the Hospital for Invalid Gentlewomen in London
In 1854, Florence supervised the introduction of female nurses in Crimea.
The hospital was filthy with rats, lice, fleas, dirt, mud, blood and infection
Florence faced hostility from the male army doctors, initially.
She visited Balaclava in Crimea to witness the dire state of the army and fell sick from the ‘Crimean fever.
Florence was the first woman elected as a member of the Royal Statistical Society, London.
1. Florence received the prestigious Order of Merit in 1907.
1. She passed away on 13 August 1910 aged 90. She was buried at St Margaret’s Church in East Wellow, Hampshire.