It’s National Nurses Day! Today is the first day of Nurses Week, which begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12 (Florence Nightingale’s birthday). Today we celebrate the contributions and commitments that nurses make each and every day.

In 1953, Dorothy Sutherland, an employee at the United States Department of Health, sent a letter to President Eisenhower proposing a National Nurses Day. Although Eisenhower did not make an official proclamation, people began celebrating Nurses Day the following year. Twenty years later, President Nixon made it an official holiday.

Today’s celebrations usually include banquets, award dinners, educational seminars, and community events. Participate in the activities taking place in your town, and remember to thank all the nurses in your life for their amazing work and dedication! Happy National Nurses Day!