Origins & Early Life

Lili Ilse Elvenes (28 December 1882 – 13 September 1931), better known as Lili Elbe, was a Danish painter, transgender woman, and one of the earliest recipients of sex reassignment surgery. Elbe was a painter under her male birth name. After transitioning in 1930, she changed her legal name to Lili Ilse Elvenes, stopped painting, and later adopted the surname Elbe. She was the first known recipient of a uterus transplant in an attempt to achieve pregnancy, but died due to the subsequent complications.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The UK and US versions of her semi-autobiographical narrative were published posthumously in 1933 under the title Man into Woman: An Authentic Record of a Change of Sex. A film inspired by her life, The Danish Girl, was released in 2015. An opera based on her life, Lili Elbe, composed by Tobias Picker, premiered in 2023. It is generally believed that Elbe was born in 1882, in Vejle, Denmark, the child of Ane Marie Thomsen and spice merchant Mogens Wilhelm Wegener, according to the registry at St. Nicolai Church.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Her birth year is sometimes cited as 1886 by a book about her in which some facts have been changed to protect the identities of the persons involved. Facts about...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. A. Milne — Contemporary (Born in 1882) (1882): Celebrated English author, famed for Winnie-the-Pooh and children's literature.
• Éamon de Valera — Contemporary (Born in 1882) (1882): Dominant Irish statesman, leading figure in the establishment of modern Irish governance.
• Anna Pavlova — Contemporary (Born in 1882) (1882): Iconic Russian prima ballerina, famed for 'The Dying Swan' and global tours.
• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam — Contemporary (Born in 1931) (1931): Visionary aerospace engineer, scientist, and former President of India.
• Akseli Gallen-Kallela — Contemporary (Died in 1931) (1931): Pioneering Finnish painter, celebrated for national romanticism and the Kalevala.
• Albert A. Michelson — Contemporary (Died in 1931) (1931): Pioneering American experimental physicist known for light speed measurements.
• Ante Pavelić — Shared historical date (12-28 · Died) (1959): Croatian politician and dictator of the Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945)
• Armando Manzanero — Shared historical date (12-28 · Died) (2020): Mexican composer and singer, celebrated for defining the romantic sound of postwar Latin America.
• Andrea Mantegna — Shared historical date (09-13 · Died) (1506): Master of the Italian Renaissance, known for monumental perspective and sculptural figures.
• Antony Hewish — Shared historical date (09-13 · Died) (2021): Pioneering radio astronomer, celebrated for the discovery of pulsars.
• 1882 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1882
• December 28 (12-28) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 28
• 1931 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1931
• September 13 (09-13) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 13