19. FLO: The Lowdown.

The Route 1066 lowdown on Florence Nightingale.

1820

A daughter is born to Fanny and William Nightingale on May 12th at 5.37pm. The lamp follows at 5.44pm. She is named after the city of her birth, Florence in Italy.

1824

Florence is considered ‘a bright pupil’ upon starting school in England, probably due to her lamp.

1837

In February, Florence gets her first call from God. Miraculous as the telephone isn’t invented for another four decades.

1841

Miss Nightingale decrees that statistics are easier to present to the public if displayed in pie chart form. A variation on Sweeney Todd who presented his Chartist customers to the public in pie form.

1850

Florence writes The Institution of Kaiserswerth on the Rhine, for the Practical Training of Deaconesses, etc. The publisher wanted a catchier title, but not too catchy, incase she had it quarantined.

1853

Nightingale takes the post of Superintendent at the Institute for the Care of Sick Gentlewomen in Harley Street, London. But returns it after she is caught.

1854

Reports reach Britain of the terrible conditions the wounded endure in the Crimean War. Nightingale, her lamp and a staff of 38 female volunteer nurses she has trained, leave for the Ottoman Empire. When they arrive some are shocked to discover it isn’t a huge furniture storage outlet.

Nightingale discovers poor care and hygiene and a lack of medical supplies. She implements hand washing and other hygienic sanitary practices which cuts the appalling death rates amongst the war wounded.

1855

Nightingale sends a plea to The Times for a solution to the poor facilities. This makes her and her lamp famous and many say that they’ll get behind her, probably because street lighting wasn’t great back then. The Nightingale Fund is started.

1868

Forence Nightingale lobbies to strengthen the Public Health Bill to ensure that property owners are connected to the mains drainage system. This is later ammended to just connecting their properties as it’s easier because they’re more static.

1902

Nightingale’s lamp is temporarily extinguished due to her protracted negotiations in switching energy providers.

1910

Nightingale dies aged 90.

1911

Florence’s lamp makes a guest appearance at The Blackpool Illuminations.

1930

People are generally living twenty years longer thanks to the social and health reforms initiated by Nightingale as part of the Public Health Act 1874-75.

1940

Florence’s lamp is extinguished for the last time in compliance with blackout regulations.

1975

Nightingale appears on the reverse of the Bank of England Ten Pound Note for the next nineteen years. Had she not been born in Florence but the Isle of Ust, the notes would’ve then become confusingly known as The IOU Ten Pounds.