History of First Aid

1099 The Order of St. John is formed. Knights trained in medical care attend wounded on European battlefields.

1863 The First International Geneva Convention. Dr. John Furley of the Order of St. John sets up the Red Cross, to “aid sick and wounded soldiers in the field”.

1871 Clara Barton and friends in Washington, D.C. form the American Red Cross.

1872 British Surgeon-Major Peter Shepherd introduces pre-medical treatment with a litter for carrying the sick to get medical help. He dubs it “the St. Johns Ambulance.”

1877 Formation of the “St. John Ambulance Association.” Classes are formed “to train men and women for the benefit of sick and wounded.”

1878 Dr. Peter Shepherd publishes First Aid to the Injured, the first popularization of the term “first aid” and the first textbook on civilian aid to the injured and sick.

1883 Dr. John Furley invents the first single-purpose horse-drawn civilian ambulance.

1894 Dr. Heaton Howard, editor of the journal First Aid, describes a “first aider” as “any person who has received a certificate that he or she is qualified to render First Aid.”

Early 1900s Early use of “medicine chests” filled with dressings and other materials.

1903 The Red Cross produces “a first aid manual.”

1910 Dr. Matthew Shields tours the US in a railroad car, teaching first aid to the public.

1914 The beginning of the First World War, during which the Red Cross expands from 17,000 to 31 million members worldwide.

1919 Formation: the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

1970s The popularization of CPR training.

1972 Creation of OSHA regulations concerning workplace safety and first aid.

1973 The Emergency Services Act fully defines the separation of civilian first aid and the responsibilities of emergency personnel such as paramedics.

1979 Advanced First Aid is published, the first textbook intended for professional first responders.