People

Christiaan Barnard

pioneering heart surgeon
Born: 11/8/1922
Birthplace: Beaufort West, South Africa

South African heart surgeon who made medical history on Dec. 3, 1967, when he performed the first human-to-human heart transplant. Barnard also designed artificial heart valves and developed advanced surgical procedures for organ transplants. He was a vociferous antiapartheid activist who created a frenzy in 1968 when he transplanted the heart of a mixed-race man into a white dentist.

Died: Paphos, Cyprus, 9/2/2001

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