Origins & Early Life

Earl Elmer Bakken (January 10, 1924 – October 21, 2018) was an American engineer, inventor, businessman and philanthropist. He founded Medtronic, where he developed the first external, battery-operated, transistorized, wearable artificial pacemaker in 1957. Bakken was born on January 10, 1924, in Columbia Heights, Minnesota and was of Norwegian ancestry. Bakken had a long-held fascination with electricity and electronics.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

A self-described "nerd", Bakken designed a rudimentary electroshock weapon in school to fend off bullies. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1948 from the University of Minnesota. His electrical engineering education continued, and he obtained a Master's degree with a minor in mathematics, also from the University of Minnesota. As a boy, Bakken was inspired by the combination of electricity with medicine in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, and the subsequent 1931 film version starring Boris Karloff was a direct inspiration for his future work, including his improvements to the pacemaker (the first to be battery-powered and wearable) and founding Medtronic. Bakken later founded a museum about medical...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Anatole France — Contemporary (Died in 1924) (1924): Master French writer, poet, and journalist celebrated for irony and style.
• Antony Hewish — Contemporary (Born in 1924) (1924): Pioneering radio astronomer, celebrated for the discovery of pulsars.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee — Contemporary (Born in 1924) (1924): Indian statesman and poet, served as Prime Minister of India multiple times.
• Aretha Franklin — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): The "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin defined American music with unparalleled vocal power.
• Balabhaskar — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Pioneering Indian violinist and composer known for promoting fusion music.
• Billy Graham — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Influential American evangelist known for global crusades and ministry.
• Barbara Hepworth — Shared historical date (01-10 · Born) (1903): Pioneering English Modernist sculptor, celebrated for her abstract forms and connection to St Ives.
• Carl Linnaeus — Shared historical date (01-10 · Died) (1778): Father of modern taxonomy, systematized the naming of life forms.
• Alfred Nobel — Shared historical date (10-21 · Born) (1833): Pioneering chemist, inventor of dynamite, and founder of the Nobel Prizes.
• Benjamin Netanyahu — Shared historical date (10-21 · Born) (1949): Israel's longest-serving and most consequential Prime Minister.
• 1924 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1924
• January 10 (01-10) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 10
• 2018 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2018
• October 21 (10-21) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 21