Mother Teresa

Awarded for

Her work in bringing help to suffering humanity

The story behind the prize

Mother Teresa served the 'poorest of the poor' in Calcutta: the sick, the dying, orphans and people with leprosy. Her Missionaries of Charity opened homes, hospices and clinics in many countries. She became a world symbol of compassion, though some critics questioned conditions in her homes.

About

Catholic nun born in Skopje (now North Macedonia) who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta in 1950.

Exam facts

• Declared a saint by the Catholic Church in 2016
• Asked for the Nobel banquet to be cancelled and the money given to the poor