Mother Teresa

Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu (August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997), known as Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun who became one of the most iconic humanitarian figures of the twentieth century. Born in Skopje (now North Macedonia), she moved to India as a young nun and spent nearly seven decades working with the poorest and most marginalized people in Calcutta. In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation dedicated to serving those suffering from poverty, disease, and social abandonment. Under her leadership, the organization grew to operate hundreds of facilities worldwide, including orphanages, hospitals, and hospices for the dying. Mother Teresa's selfless work among Calcutta's most destitute residents—particularly the homeless, sick, and dying—captured global attention and made her a symbol of compassionate service. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work. Her legacy is complex and multifaceted; while widely revered for her charitable dedication, she has also faced scholarly criticism regarding her views on suffering and the conditions in her facilities. Nevertheless, her influence on global humanitarian consciousness remains profound, and she was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2016.