On this date in 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a pioneering African American surgeon, performed the first successful open-heart surgeries.

James Cornish, a young man who had been stabbed in the chest, was brought to Provident Hospital —a hospital founded by Dr. Williams himself in Chicago. Without modern surgical tools, X-rays, or antibiotics, Dr. Williams operated directly on Cornish’s pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart) to repair the wound. Incredibly, Cornish survived and recovered, living for several more years after the surgery.

Dr. Williams’ achievement was groundbreaking, as heart surgery was considered nearly impossible at the time. His work helped lay the foundation for future advancements in cardiac surgery and opened doors for Black medical professionals in the U.S.