Dr. James Hiram Bedford, a University of California professor and World War I veteran, became the first person to undergo cryonic preservation. In 1967, after being diagnosed with kidney cancer that had spread to his lungs, Bedford embraced the idea of cryonics, inspired by Dr. Robert Ettinger’s book The Prospect of Immortality.

Cryonics involves preserving a body at extremely low temperatures after death, with the hope of future revival when medical advancements can cure the fatal condition. On January 12, 1967, Bedford’s body underwent the procedure. After his blood was replaced with dimethyl sulfoxide to protect his organs, he was stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C.

In 1991, Alcor, a cryonics organization, inspected Bedford’s body. Despite some discoloration and frozen corneas, his preservation was deemed successful. His body was re-wrapped and returned to liquid nitrogen storage, where it remains today, over 50 years later.

Before his preservation, Bedford expressed his intent: “I did not do this with the thought of being revived but in the hope that my descendants will benefit from this scientific solution.” Though advancements have yet to fulfill that promise, Bedford’s legacy endures as a cryonics pioneer.