October 16, 1846General sourceWell documented
The first public surgery under ether
On the timeline · around October 16, 1846 ·
What happened
At Massachusetts General Hospital, dentist William Morton demonstrated ether anesthesia during surgery — later called "Ether Day."
Why it matters
Painless surgery transformed medicine from a brutal last resort into a survivable, deliberate practice.
Sources
- Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology. History of Anesthesia · General source