FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

Born in a very wealthy family, Florence Nightingale decided to devote her life to the service of others, rejecting the expected role for a woman of her status to become a wife and mother. She is remembered as the founder of the nursing profession where she demonstrated compassion, commitment to patient care and diligent hospital administration. 

She educated herself, organized care for wounded soldiers during the Crimean War and in 1860 established the first nursing school in the world. She also advocated better healthcare, hunger relief, abolishing prostitution laws and the acceptance of women in the workforce. She was also a writer and a pioneer in data visualization and infographics. 

A number of awards recognize her legacy, e.g. the Nightingale Pledge taken by new nurses (since 1893), the Red Cross Florence Nightingale Medal, highest international distinction a nurse can achieve (since 1912), or the International Nurses Day celebrated on her birthday.