Maria Montessori was born on the 31st of August in Chiaravalle, Italy.

Her family moved to the cosmopolitan city of Rome and she started attending elementary school.

She attended a technical school, Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Despite her father’s objections she attended an all-boys school, Regio Instituto Tecnico Leonardo da Vinci in hopes of becoming an engineer.

Maria Montessori earned a degree in physics-mathematics, however, while studying she discovered a new found love for biology.

She began to attend medical school at the University of Rome.

She graduated with honors from medical school and became one of Italy’s first female physicians.

Montessori was appointed co-director of the State Orthophrenic School, it was a school that trains teachers to work with children with learning difficulties and mental health problems. During that year her only son, Mario was born.

Her research during those years working in the Orthophrenic School left her with revolutionary insights and she left the school to do further research. However, the Italian Ministry of Education was not supportive of her work and they denied her access to children without learning difficulties.

She was appointed Professor of Anthropology at the University of Rome.

She had the opportunity to work with children without learning difficulties in a very poor area of Rome. The school was called “Casa dei Bambini”.

She published her research findings in a book called “The Method of Scientific Pedagogy as Applied to Infant Education and the Children’s Houses” and set up her first teacher training course.

The first International Montessori course took place in Rome.

Montessori schools started opening all around the world.

Montessori traveled to India with her son Mario to run a training course.

As a consequence of WWII she and her son were not allowed to leave India. During that time Dr. Montessori was corresponding with Mahatma Gandhi who both believed that peace could only be achieved through the education of our children.
As the war continued Montessori schools were being forced to close due to their non-conforming ways of teachings.

WWII ended and Dr. Montessori left India and settled in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She also founded the Montessori St Nicolas Training Center in Knightsbridge.

Dr. Montessori was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the Legion of Honor. She was nominated again in 1950 and 1951.

Dr. Montessori passed away on the 6th of May in the Netherlands.