Nov 22, 2016
Cecilia Grierson’s 157th Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Born in Buenos Aires in 1859, Cecilia Grierson was a physician, activist, author, inventor, reformer, and the first woman to receive a medical degree in Argentina.
In 19th century Argentina, medical school was off limits to women—in fact, very few women enrolled in secondary education of any kind. Grierson’s perseverance earned her a degree, and the struggles she faced fueled her work as a human rights activist. As vice president of the International Council of Women, a suffragist organization, she fought tirelessly for social causes like welfare benefits, maternity leave for working women, and the end of the slave trade, to name a few.
As a physician, Grierson founded the first nursing school in Argentina and helped to advance studies in gynecology and kinesiology. She was also the first person to suggest that medical service vehicles should have alarm bells — resulting in what we now know as the ambulance. Today, many medical institutions bear her name.
Today’s Doodle honors Grierson, a true pioneer, on what would be her 157th birthday.
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