Born: May 12, 1820 Florence, Italy Died: August 13, 1910 London, England English nurse The English nurse Florence Nightingale was the founder of modern nursing and made outstanding contributions to the knowledge and improvement of public health. EARLY YEARS AND STUDY Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy, on May 12, 1820; she was named after the city of her birth. Her father, William E. Nightingale , was a wealthy landowner who had inherited an estate in Derbyshire, England. Like many members of the wealthy class, he and Florence's mother, Fanny , dedicated themselves to the pursuit of active social lives. Florence and her sister, Parthenope , were tutored by their father in languages, mathematics, and history. Though Florence was tempted by the idea of a brilliant social life and marriage, she also wanted to achieve independence, importance in some field of activity, and obedience to God through service to society. In 1844 Nightingale decided that she want