The first human eye transplant

On April 22, 1969, doctors at Methodist Hospital in Houston performed what was billed as the first human eye transplant on John Madden, 54, owner of a photography studio. The donor eye was taken from a man who had died of a brain tumor and the donor cornea,lens and iris were given to Madden. Although the transplant failed to restore Madden's sight--it has been reported that the donor eye was not preserved enough to keep it viable--the historic procedure was considered a medical miracle.