Mary Ann Nichols was the first confirmed victim of the infamous serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. She was born on August 26, 1845, in London, England, and lived a troubled life marked by poverty and hardship. Nichols worked as a prostitute to support herself and had several children, though many did not survive. On August 31, 1888, Nichols was found murdered in Buck's Row, Whitechapel, a district in London known for its high crime rates. Her brutal killing marked the beginning of a series of murders that would terrorize the area and capture the attention of the public and media, leading to widespread speculation about the identity of Jack the Ripper.