Florence Nightingale

About Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), ranked #650 by the Pantheon project, is one of history's most influential figures, primarily due to her foundational role in modernizing nursing and sanitation. As a statistician and social reformer, her groundbreaking work during the Crimean War dramatically reduced soldier mortality rates, leading to systematic improvements in military and civilian healthcare across the world. Her efforts in establishing professional standards for nursing and advocating for public health reform cement her high historical importance across multiple fields.

Despite this significant historical footprint, the modern internet's attention is disproportionate. Nightingale accrued 1.5 million annualized Wikipedia views in 2025. This level of attention places her in an 'overattention' category, registering at +4x her expected level based on her HPI rank. Interestingly, her attention, while strong for a figure of her era, is less than that garnered by contemporary figures like Jackie Chan (#926 importance, 3.8M views), suggesting a bias toward modern celebrity even over historically crucial reformers.

Her 2025 trajectory shows a slight cooling, with a +10.2% year-over-year increase, but her quarterly momentum dipped by 4% from Q1 to Q3, indicating that while her historical presence is stable, the recent digital interest may be receding.