Born: 12 May 1820 · Died: 13 August 1910 · Age at death: 90
How old was Florence Nightingale when she died?
Florence Nightingale died aged 90. She was born on 12 May 1820 and died on 13 August 1910.
English nurse known as the Lady with the Lamp for her work in the Crimean War, who founded modern nursing
Did you know?She was a pioneering statistician who used innovative charts and graphs to prove that better hygiene saved the lives of soldiers.
Quick facts
Date of birth12 May 1820
Date of death13 August 1910
Age at death90
NationalityBritish
BirthplaceFlorence, Italy
Occupationnurse, statistician, writer
Editor's Take:
Florence Nightingale founded modern nursing. Born into a wealthy family, she defied expectations to train as a nurse. In 1854 she led a team of nurses to a British army hospital in the Crimean War. She found filth, overcrowding and soldiers dying of disease. She improved hygiene and care, and made night rounds with a lamp. Back in Britain, she used statistics and clever charts to push for reform. She founded a nursing school at St Thomas' Hospital in London.
Key Milestones
1854: Scutari – leads nurses in Crimea
1858: Royal Statistical Society – first woman member
1859: Notes on Nursing – bestseller
1860: Nightingale School – opens
Florence Nightingale (12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, in which she organised care for wounded soldiers at Constantinople.
