1820 — Born May 12 in Florence, Italy (after which she was named).
Her wealthy British family expected her to marry well and live a conventional upper-class life.
1837 — At age 16, she received what she described as a
"call from God" while walking in the garden at Embley Park. She felt called to serve.
1844 — Despite fierce family opposition, announced her
intention to pursue nursing. Her mother was horrified—nursing was then associated
with alcoholism and prostitution, work done by the lowest classes.
1849-1850 — Traveled through Egypt and Germany, visiting
the deaconess school at Kaiserswerth where she observed nursing training.
1851 — Against family wishes, trained at Kaiserswerth
for four months. Her family finally relented.
1853 — Became superintendent of the Hospital for
Invalid Gentlewomen in London—her first administrative position.
1854 — The Crimean War began. Reports of horrific
conditions at British military hospitals reached London. Secretary at War Sidney
Herbert asked Nightingale to organize a corps of nurses.
1854-1856 — Led 38 nurses to the Barrack Hospital at
Scutari, Turkey. Found soldiers lying in their own excrement, without blankets,
with mortality at 42%. Through sanitation reforms, reduced death rate to 2%.
1856 — Returned to England a national heroine.
Met with Queen Victoria. Suffered from what was probably chronic brucellosis
contracted in Crimea—she spent much of the rest of her life bedridden.
1858 — Became the first woman elected to the
Royal Statistical Society. Published her famous "rose diagrams" showing causes
of mortality in the Crimean War.
1859 — Published "Notes on Nursing: What It Is,
and What It Is Not"—it became a bestseller and remains influential today.
1860 — Founded the Nightingale Training School
at St Thomas' Hospital, London—the first secular nursing school in the world.
This revolutionized nursing education.
1907 — Became the first woman to receive the
Order of Merit, Britain's highest civilian honor.
1910 — Died August 13 at age 90. Per her wishes,
she declined a state funeral and burial in Westminster Abbey, instead being buried
in the family plot in Hampshire.