2015 Event 90-year-old Jimmy Carter, former U.S. president, announces that he has an unspecified cancer that has spread throughout his body; the cancer was discovered during a recent liver surgery 2014 Event Joan Rivers dies at age 81; the outspoken comedienne passed after complications from surgery on her vocal cords 2014 Event Celine Dion announces that she will not be performing for the indefinite future; the singer will be focusing on taking care of her husband as he recovers from throat cancer surgery; she is also recovering from an illness affecting her vocal cords 2014 Event Tiger Woods has announced that he will begin golfing again after a three-month hiatus he took to recover from back surgery; he will play in the Quicken Loans National in Maryland next week 2014 Event Tiger Woods will miss the Masters Tournament for the first time in 20 years as he recovers from surgery for a pinched nerve 2013 Event Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou takes over the duties of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner when she undergoes surgery to remove a subdural hematoma 2013 Event American actress Angelina Jolie announces she underwent elective double mastectomy surgery because she carried the BRCA1 gene and had a family history of breast cancer 2012 Event Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, leaves the hospital after undergoing minor surgery to remove a tumor 2012 Event The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, undergoes surgery for cancer in Cuba 2012 Event Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returns home after a three-week recovery from cancer surgery 2012 Event Vice-President of Argentina Amado Boudou assumes temporary power as President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has surgery for thyroid cancer 2011 Event Suzanne Mubarek, wife of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek, has open heart surgery after having a heart attack brought on by a corruption investigation 2007 Death Henry Hyde, Representative-R-Illinois 1975 - 2007, died from complications from surgery 2003 Death Paul M. Simon, Senator-D-Illinois 1985 - 1997, dies following heart surgery 2001 Death Floyd Spence, Representative-R-South Carolina 1971 - 2001, died of complications from surgery 2000 Death Dr. Rene Favaloro, doctor, invented heart by-pass surgery, dies at 77 1999 Death George Brown, Jr., Representative-D-California 1963 - 1971 and 1973 - 1999, died of complications from surgery 1998 Death Bella Abzug, Representative-D-New York, 1971 - 1977, dies at 77 from complications following open heart surgery 1998 Event Olympic figure skater Peggy Fleming undergoes breast cancer surgery 1997 Event President Clinton trips and tears up his knee requiring surgery 1995 Event Queen Mother Elizabeth undergoes hip surgery 1995 Event John Bobbitt has plastic surgery to increase his penis 3 inches 1994 Event George Burns, undergoes surgery to drain fluid from his brain 1994 Event Country singer George Jones undergoes triple bypass surgery 1994 Event General H Norman Schwarzkopf released from hospital after prostate surgery 1994 Event Tony Curtis undergoes heart-bypass surgery 1993 Event Robert Goulet undergoes prostate cancer surgery 1993 Death Conway Twitty, country star (Linda on My Mind), dies in surgery at 59 1993 Event Boston Celtic Larry Bird undergoes backfusion surgery 1992 Event Tommy Smothers undergoes arthroscopic surgery 1992 Event Actress Nell Carter undergoes brain surgery 1992 Death Jim Alaimo, vocalist, dies after heart surgery at 53 1992 Event Former NFL New York Giant Coach Bill Parcells undergoes open heart surgery 1992 Event Country singer Doug Stone, 35, undergoes quadruple bypass surgery 1992 Event Jane Fonda undergoes arthroscopic surgery on her right knee 1990 Event Dodger Orel Hershiser undergoes career-threatening shoulder surgery 1989 Death Edward Abbey (environmental author), dies after surgery at 62 1988 Event Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor OK after breast cancer surgery 1988 Event Royals announce that Dick Howser, who underwent surgery for a brain tumor in July, will return to manage the club in 1989 1985 Death Hal LeRoy, dancer/actor (Harold Teen), dies at 71 after surgery 1984 Death John Marley, actor (Cat Ballou), dies at 77 following heart surgery 1983 Death Slim Pickins, actor (Blazing Saddles), dies after brain surgery at 64 1983 Event Ramones guitarist Joey Ramone, beaten in fight-undergoes brain surgery 1983 Event Tennis ace Arthur Ashe undergoes double bypass heart surgery 1979 Death John Glassock, bass (Jethro Tull), dies at 27 following heart surgery 1976 Death Howlin' Wolf, singer and guitarist, dies following brain surgery at 65 1975 Event Rock vocal Neil Young undergoes throat surgery 1969 Death Hugh Williams, actor (Human Monster), dies after surgery at 65 1968 Death Sara Jane Roberts, child actress (Our Gang), dies after surgery at 44 1967 Death Emerson Treacy, actor (Prowler), dies after surgery at 66 1963 Death Margarita Sierra, actress (Surfside 6), dies after heart surgery at 26 1961 Death Esther Dale, actress (Birdie-Ma and Pa Kettle), dies after surgery at 75 1960 Death Lawrence Mervil Tibbett, baritone, dies after surgery at 63 1952 Event Dr. Floyd J Lewis 1st uses deep freeze technique in heart surgery 1944 Event John Hopkins hospital performs 1st open heart surgery 1944 Birthday Keith Emerson, born in England, Emerson, Lake and Palmer-Brain Salad Surgery 1936 Death Pierre-Octave Ferroud, French composer (Surgery and Foules), dies at 36 1931 Death Daniel H Williams, doctor (pioneer in surgery), dies 1925 Event Babe Ruth is finally out of bed, 5 weeks after ulcer surgery 1925 Event New York Yankee Babe Ruth has ulcer surgery 1916 Birthday Andrew Kay, surgeon/professor of surgery, University of Glasgow 1893 Event Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performs 1st successful open heart surgery without anesthesia 1840 Event Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, 1st in U.S., incorporated 1814 Event 1st plastic surgery is performed (England) 1787 Birthday Karl Ferdinand von Grafe, help create modern plastic surgery 1771 Birthday Ephraim McDowell, surgeon, pioneered abdominal surgery
