Maria Montessori

     She was born in 1870 at Chiaravalle near Ancona, Italy, an only child of a fairly well-to-do family.  At that time, Italy was stricken by poverty,  illiteracy and child labor was common, and the educational system was barely developed.  

     At the age of twelve, Maria Montessori decided that she wanted to become an engineer.  She attended a school where she received technical training, which was highly uncommon for a young girl.  Subsequently, she chose to study medicine at the University of Rome and in 1896 she became Italy's first female physician.  Read more...