1929
India
Began her long life and work in India.
Stories of achievement, courage and contribution
Catholic nun and founder of the Missionaries of Charity whose work in Kolkata made her one of the world’s most recognised humanitarian figures.
Mother Teresa was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Skopje in 1910. She joined the Sisters of Loreto and arrived in India as a young nun, later teaching in Kolkata.
In 1950 she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Catholic congregation focused on serving people living in poverty, illness and social abandonment. Its work gradually expanded across India and internationally.
She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and remained a globally recognised figure until her death in 1997. She was canonised as Saint Teresa of Calcutta by the Catholic Church in 2016.
Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu was born on 26 August 1910.
She arrived in India as a member of the Sisters of Loreto.
She later described a religious calling to work directly among the poor.
The new congregation was formally established in Kolkata.
Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize.
She died on 5 September 1997.
Pope Francis canonised her as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
Mother Teresa’s international reputation grew from a highly personal model of service: caring directly for people who were ill, dying, homeless or otherwise abandoned.
That approach inspired enormous admiration and charitable support, while also attracting criticism and debate about medical standards, poverty, faith and representation.
Missionaries of Charity • Service • Nobel Peace PrizeBegan her long life and work in India.
Founded the congregation in Kolkata.
Focused on people living in severe poverty and illness.
Received global recognition for humanitarian service.
The Missionaries of Charity expanded to many countries.
Canonised by the Catholic Church.
Mother Teresa became a powerful symbol of compassion, but her work has also been critically examined by journalists, medical professionals and scholars.
A balanced biography should acknowledge both the scale of admiration she inspired and the debates around standards of care, religious motivation and portrayals of poverty.
Her name remains strongly associated with Kolkata and with the Missionaries of Charity.
For supporters, she represents radical service to the most vulnerable; for critics, her legacy also raises important questions about charity, healthcare and public storytelling.
Official Nobel biography and prize information.
View source →Vatican material on her life and canonisation.
View source →Official organisation founded by Mother Teresa.
View source →She was born on 26 August 1910 in Skopje.
She arrived in India in 1929.
She founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata in 1950.
She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
She was canonised as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016.
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