The first pacemaker

Q: In what year was the first implantable pacemaker fitted into a human?

A: 1958

The first successful implantable pacemaker was fitted into a human in 1958, marking a breakthrough moment in medical technology and cardiac care.

The historic operation took place in Sweden, led by surgeon Dr. Åke Senning in collaboration with engineer Rune Elmqvist, who designed the device. Their patient, Arne Larsson, suffered from severe heart rhythm issues and had already faced multiple near-fatal cardiac arrests.

Although the first pacemaker failed after just a few hours, a second device was implanted shortly after—and it worked. Larsson would go on to receive more than 20 pacemakers across his lifetime as technology improved.

Incredibly, he went on to outlive both the surgeon and the inventor who saved his life, living to the age of 86.

Today, millions of people rely on pacemakers—tiny, sophisticated devices that trace their origins back to that pioneering operation in 1958. What began as an experimental procedure is now one of the most reliable and life-changing innovations in modern medicine.