author
Henry Dunant
1828–1910
Moved to act after seeing the suffering at the Battle of Solferino, he helped spark the idea that became the Red Cross. His writing and activism also helped lay the groundwork for the Geneva Convention and earned him the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.
1 Audiobook
The Origin of the Red Cross: "Un souvenir de Solferino"
by Henry Dunant
About the author
Born in Geneva in 1828, Henry Dunant was a Swiss businessman and humanitarian whose life changed after he witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in 1859. Shocked by the number of wounded soldiers left without care, he organized local help and later wrote A Memory of Solferino, a book that turned his experience into a powerful call for action.
That book inspired the movement that became the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863. Dunant's ideas also helped shape the first Geneva Convention in 1864, establishing new rules for the care of wounded soldiers in war.
Although he struggled for many years with financial hardship and spent much of his later life away from public attention, his work was eventually recognized around the world. In 1901, he shared the very first Nobel Peace Prize, and today he is remembered as one of the key figures in modern humanitarian aid.