Daily post that discusses fun, interesting, historic and important events from today's date. Maybe you need a topic of conversation between family, friends or coworkers. Perhaps you need something to celebrate or remember. If anything, you can learn a thing or two, which is never a bad thing! Give me an upvote and/or follow to show you enjoyed this and I'll make sure to keep up with this.

<h1>What happened on May 12th?</h1>

![maybase.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRrso1tUC1uZ9FM5Whp9QUA69k7w5uuaKtXHprKVSjKAW/maybase.jpg)

<h3>Florence Nightingale is born (1820)</h3>

![florence.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmf7wF1xLfrVgGam8JvM5E8rBptEz4cugRTXfyonsgVPMP/florence.jpg)

On this date in 1820, Florence Nightingale was born.  She is most notably known for her contributions to health care and is considered the founder and pioneer of modern nursing.

She came to prominence while managing nurses during the Crimean war.  There, she organized the attention and care for wounded soldiers.  For her time and efforts, the gave nursing a highly favorable reputation and became an icon of culture at the time.  She is also known as "The Lady with the Lamp," as she made many rounds at night to care for everybody.

Today, she is recognized in many ways.  New nurses take the Nightingale Pledge, a modified version of the Hippocratic Oath.  The Florence Nightingale Medal is also awarded to the highest international distinction.  We also celebrate International Nurses Day on today, her birthday.

Many don't know she was also an English social reformer and worked in the field of statistics.  She developed effective use of infographs and charts of statistical data.  She also wrote extensively on religion and mysticism.  She died on August 13th in 1910 at 90 years old.

<h3>Infamous Donner Party departs Missouri for California (1846)</h3>

![donnerparty.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaiT5PuDFFAuWZF2Ev6U11cDtEVaNphz9hxPoDwkqZvp6/donnerparty.jpg)

The Donner Party was a well known group of pioneers that were making the journey to California via wagon train.

Their journey is known to many for its series of debacles, mishaps and tragedy.  The typical journey would take 4-6 months, but theirs was delayed, as they followed a new route that passed over the Wasatch Mountains and through the Great Salt Lake Desert.  They also lost many wagons and cattle while traveling through the Humboldt River.

Although a smaller part of the journey than what people think, the most well known part of the entire story of the Donner Party involves their survival in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada.  They were low on supplies and they related to cannibalism.  Their story, especially this aspect, has been notoriously depicted in works of history, fiction, drama, poetry and film.

<h3>Deadly earthquake of Sichuan, China occurs (2008)</h3>

![earthquake.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdjeLfMW78F37iWwREF5Ga6nYXXqVj4vjs1ykQL6NepcU/earthquake.jpg)

On this unfortunate date in 2008, a massively deadly earthquake occured in Sichaun, China.  This event is also sometimes called the Great Wenchuan earthquake.  It was even felt in several other countries, and as far away as Beijing and Shanghai, which were 1,500 km (930 miles) and 1,700 km (1,060 miles) away, respectively.

It's magnitude was measured to be around 8.0.  Over 69,000 people would lose their lives in the quake.  Another 374,176 would be injured, and 18,222 are listed as missing as of 2008.  About 4.8 million people were left homeless.

In 2008, the Chinese government announced that to repair the damages, as part of the Chinese economic stimulus program, it would spend $146.5 billion through the following three years.

<h3>Thanks for reading!</h3>

Hopefully you learned a thing or two.  See you tomorrow!