Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and missionary. She was born in Skopje, North Macedonia, in 1910. She spent most of her life in Kolkata, India, caring for the poorest of the poor. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Early Life

Mother Teresa's birth name was Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. She decided to become a nun at age 12. She moved to India at age 18 to teach at a school. She later felt called to help the poorest people living in the slums.

A map of India marking places linked to Mother Teresa.
A map of India marking places linked to Mother Teresa. (Author Derivative work: Beao; Jayarathina; Jogy T. Mathew / Wikimedia Commons)

Big Achievements

Mother Teresa started the Missionaries of Charity in 1950. Her organization ran hospices, orphanages, and soup kitchens. She helped people with leprosy, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and was made a saint in 2016.

Fun Facts

  • Mother Teresa wore the same style of white sari with blue stripes every day.
  • She started with just 13 members; now the Missionaries of Charity has over 4,500 nuns.
  • When she won the Nobel Prize, she asked that the dinner be canceled and the money given to the poor.

Did You Know?

Mother Teresa opened homes for the dying so that people who had no one to care for them could pass away with dignity and love. She believed every person deserved to be treated with kindness.