Henry Dunant

Henri Dunant (French: Henri Dunant, pronounced: [ɑʁi dynɑə]; May 8, 1828 - October 30, 1910) was a Swiss businessman and humanitarian, the founder of the Red Cross Movement, and later generations respectfully called him the "Father of the Red Cross." In 1859, while on a business trip, he witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino. Later, he recorded this experience in his book "Memoirs of Solferino". The ideas in the book eventually led to the creation of the "International Committee for the Relief of the Wounded Soldiers" in 1863 (that is, The predecessor of the International Committee of the Red Cross). The 1864 Geneva Convention was also based on Dunant's humanitarian ideas. In 1901 he and Frenchman Frederic Passy won the first Nobel Peace Prize.