More than 1.5 million nurses records from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) have been digitised by family history website Ancestry.
The records span nurses' registrations and appointments from 1891-1968, and provide a glimpse into nursing and women's historyin the UK.
Famous names included in the record are Dame Sarah Swift, the founder of the RCN, Dame Joanna Margaret Cruickshank, the founder of the Royal Air Force Nursing Service, and Dame Emily Mathieson Blair, former Matron-in-Chief of the British Red Cross Society.
Janet Davies, RCN chief executive and general secretary, said: 'The RCN is committed to preserving the history of the nursing profession, so it’s wonderful to see the records of so many inspiring nurses being digitised for the very first time, especially during our centenary year.
'Nurses have touched the lives of so many families, and this resource gives people the chance to travel back in time to discover the real lives of their nursing relatives.
She added that nursing staff deserve to be remembered, and this unique project will help preserve their legacy for many more years to come.