People had been having sex change operations since at least the 1920s, but what made Jorgensen's case stand out was the use of hormone therapy in combination with the surgical procedures.
Hit by a Meteorite
Ann Elizabeth Hodges was taking a nap on this day when she was rudely awakened by a meteorite crashing through her roof.
Seal Befriends Lady on a Beach
A tourist gets up close and personal with an elephant seal.
The Legend of Kate Morgan's Ghost
For over 100 years, guests at San Diego's Hotel del Coronado have reported spooky encounters with the ghost of Kate Morgan.
The Hammond Wreck
An engineer on a troop transport train fell asleep and rammed his engine through a circus train that had stopped on the tracks.
Biggest Turtle
This amazingly large leatherback measured 9 feet from snout to tail and he weighed over 2000 pounds.
Death of a Bigot
George Lincoln Rockwell was the founder of the American Nazi Party. He believed that all blacks should be shipped back to Africa and that all the Jews should be sterilized.
Crazy Pat
A U.S. Postal worker named Patrick Sherrill shot and killed 14 of his fellow employees.
Hero Boiled Alive
Others warned him not to dive in, but he told them, "Like hell I won't!"
Outbreak
In 1976, Air Force veteran Ray Brennan became the first of 34 people to die from a mysterious illness at a Legionnaire's convention in Philadelphia.
Royal Killer of Kathmandu
Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal went on a killing spree during a royal family get together.
Death on the Dance Floor
A crowded dance floor at a wedding celebration collapsed and pancaked through 3 floors of a poorly constructed building. 23 people died and 380 were injured.
Exxon Valdez
Estimates are that as many 250,000 sea birds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 247 bald eagles and billions of salmon eggs were killed.
Nugget Man
Robert C. Baker invented some of the most popular fast food items of all time.
Cavalese Cable Car Disaster
Two of the tram's steel cables got crossed and somehow one of them was severed. The cabin plunged 700 feet down the mountain and skidded another 300 feet before coming to a stop.
The Peace Sign
The distinctive symbol was a combination of the letters N (for nuclear) and D (for disarmament) from the semaphore alphabet.
The Station Nightclub Fire
100 people died on this night in one of the worst nightclub fires in U.S. history.
Road Trouper
Troup may be most remembered for writing the classic song, "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66." It's a song he wrote while driving from Pennsylvania to California
Wardrobe Malfunction
It was on this day during halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII that 90 million viewers were shocked and awed by Janet Jackson's breast.