Florence Nightingale 203rd Birth Anniversary: 10 Lesser-known Facts About the 'Lady With The Lamp'

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 2023: International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 12 in honour of Florence Nightingale, who was born on that date in 1820 in Florence, Italy. It was her caregiving of diseased soldiers during the Crimean War (October 1853 – February 1856) that led to the birth of modern nursing. 2023 marks the 203rd birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale who was given the nickname the “Lady with the Lamp.”

Florence Nightingale Birth Anniversary 2023: 10 Interesting Facts

1. 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.
2. Florence believed that she was called by the voice of God to serve the weak and the wounded.
3. In 1853, Florence was appointed as the Superintendent of the Hospital for Invalid Gentlewomen in London, which was later renamed as Florence Nightingale Hospital for Gentlewomen.
4. In 1854, Florence supervised the introduction of female nurses in Crimea. She led 38 women to the barrack hospital at Scutari, in northwestern Albania and took charge of it.
5. The hospital was filthy with rats, lice, fleas, dirt, mud, blood and infection. Essential medical supplies were lacking and the medical staff was overwhelmed by the large number of soldiers arriving from Crimea. Most of them were afflicted with dysentery and fever.
6. Florence faced hostility from the male army doctors, initially. Eventually, however, she and her nurses improved the medical and sanitary facilities, established food kitchens, reading rooms, and even wrote letters on behalf of the soldiers.
7. She visited Balaclava in Crimea to witness the dire state of the army and fell sick from the ‘Crimean fever.’ She recovered, but slowly.
8. Florence was the first woman elected as a member of the Royal Statistical Society, London. She also set up the Nightingale training School at St Thomas’ Hospital, London on July 9, 1860.
9. Florence received the prestigious Order of Merit in 1907.
10. She passed away on 13 August 1910 aged 90. She was buried at St Margaret’s Church in East Wellow, Hampshire.