John Carter Callaghan, (October 1, 1923 – April 6, 2004) was a Canadian cardiac surgeon who "pioneered open-heart surgery in Alberta" Born in Hamilton, Ontario on October 1, 1923, he received his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1946. In 1955, he joined the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the University of Alberta Hospital and performed Canada's first successful open heart surgery. In 1985, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1986, he was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence. References 1923 births 2004 deaths 20th-century Canadian physicians Canadian cardiac surgeons People from Hamilton, Ontario Physicians from Ontario Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence Officers of the Order of Canada University of Toronto alumni 20th-century surgeons