Medical milestones, landmark publications, and notable births and deaths associated with May 12.

Events

1974 – International Nurses Day was officially established by the International Council of Nurses, set on May 12 (Florence Nightingale’s birthday) to recognise nurses’ contributions worldwide; the ICN had been leading May 12 observances since 1965

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Births

1832 – Jean–Alfred Fournier (1832-1914), French dermatologist; described Fournier gangrene (1883), Fournier sign (1891), and Fournier tibia (1891)

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Deaths

1841– James Hope (1801-1841), English physician and cardiologist; described Hope sign (1832)

1847 – Jacques Lisfranc de Saint-Martin (1787-1847), French Surgeon. Described the Lisfranc injury; ligament; joint; amputation… [opération de Lisfranc] and a great number of surgical procedures including – surgical resection of the rectum in the treatment of rectal carcinoma (1826); lithotomy in women and the amputation of the cervix uteri

1882 – Carl Hueter (1838-1882), German Surgeon; described Hueter-Volkmann law (1862)

1937 – Samuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson (1878-1937); described Wilson disease (1912)

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Further reading

• International Nurses Day. ICN