Dr. James Hiram Bedford, a University of California professor and WWI veteran, became the first person to undergo cryonic preservation. Diagnosed with kidney cancer that spread to his lungs in 1967, he chose to have his body frozen in hopes that future medical advancements could cure his illness.
On January 12, 1967, Bedford was injected with dimethyl sulfoxide after his blood was drained, then placed in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. “I did this in the hope that one day my descendants will benefit from this wonderful scientific solution,” he said before his preservation.
In 1991, Alcor examined his body and found it well-preserved, with his face appearing younger and his corneas chalky white. Today, over 50 years later, Bedford remains frozen—just a “mummy.” Despite high hopes, no one has yet been revived from cryonic preservation.
