Who was Florence Nightingale?

Florence Nightingale.

I know that name.

Wasn't she famous for being a nurse?

The most famous nurse in all of history, but her story actually starts in 1820.

She was born in Florence, Italy, and her parents literally named her after the city.

[laughs] Good thing she wasn't born in a town called Swamp.

That would be a terrible name.

[laughs] True.

But she grew up in England in a super wealthy family.

They lived in giant mansions, had servants, and went to fancy parties all the time.

That sounds pretty awesome to me.

Did she like being rich?

Not at all.

When she was 16, she said she heard a voice calling her to do something important with her life.

She wanted to help sick people.

So she decided to be a doctor.

Back then, women were rarely allowed to go to medical school, so she told her parents she wanted to be a nurse.

And they were super proud of her, right?

[laughs] Nope.

They were furious.

In the 1840s, hospitals were filthy.

Nurses weren't trained at all, and it was considered an embarrassing job for a rich girl.

Wait, her parents actually forbade her from helping sick people?

Yes.

They wanted her to marry a rich man and just host dinner parties.