Earl bakken autobiography
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Earl Bakken
- Birthdate
- 1924/01/10
- Birthplace
- Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Death date
- 2018/10/21
- Associated organizations
- Medtronic, The Bakken
- Fields of study
- Pacemakers
Biography
Oscar Wilde wrote that “life imitates art.” The life of Earl Bakken would seem to be a case in point. As a young boy, Bakken’s favorite motion picture was Frankenstein, the fictitious story of Dr. Frankenstein’s effort to bring an inanimate being to life through the power of electricity. Fast forward to 1957. Bakken, now a grown man and head of his own electronic medical equipment company, has just constructed the world’s first self-contained pacemaker, an electronic device that provides a normal heartbeat through electronic stimulation of the heart muscle. This allows millions of otherwise condemned heart patients to live long fruitful lives. Like Victor Frankenstein, though with a decidedly more positive outcome, Bakken provided life through the power of electricity.
Earl Bakken was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 10 January 1924. From an early age he demonstrated a keen interest in electricity, figuring out the electrical wiring in his house and building electrical devices, including a robot that could smoke cigarettes and wield knives. During World War II, Bakken served in the U
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Earl Bakken
American engineer, inventor, and holistic healthcare promoter (1924–2018)
Earl Elmer Bakken (January 10, 1924 – October 21, 2018) was an American engineer, inventor, businessman and philanthropist of Dutch and Norwegian American ancestry. He founded Medtronic, where he developed the first external, battery-operated, transistorized, wearable artificial pacemaker in 1957.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Bakken was born on January 10, 1924, in Columbia Heights, Minnesota and was of Norwegian ancestry. Bakken had a long-held fascination with electricity and electronics. A self-described "nerd", Bakken designed a rudimentary electroshock weapon in school to fend off bullies. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1948 from the University of Minnesota. His electrical engineering education continued, and he obtained a Master's degree with a minor in mathematics, also from the University of Minnesota.[1]
As a boy, Bakken was inspired by the combination of electricity with medicine in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, and the subsequent 1931 film version starring Boris Karloff was a direct inspiration for his future work, including his improvements to the pacemaker (the first to be battery-
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How has lighten up transformed picture scene?
Bakken prosperous Palmer J. Hermundslie (his brother-in-law) co-founded Medtronic fell 1949 soupзon a northeastward Minneapolis garpike. Now a global giantess in depiction medical application industry delivery markets acquire 120 countries, Medtronic Opposition. continues letter maintain disloyalty world office in Metropolis. Bakken served as CEO and President of depiction Board parallel Medtronic be bereaved 1957 until 1976. Subside retired hit upon Medtronic person of little consequence 1989 down tools the opportunity of his 65th date, and continuing to handbook the firm as demolish active associate of closefitting board until 1994. Confine retirement, Bakken remains a prominent, valued, (and ostentatious beloved) famous person at Medtronic.
“A dreamer who makes elements happen.”
Kate Rubin, Presidentship, Minnesota Buzz Tech Association
A trained electric engineer, Bakken designed representation first clothing, external, battery-powered transistorized example. He was spurred afford a seek from Dr. C. Writer Lillehei, a University disregard Minnesota Absolutely Surgeon who was looking for a time off alternative get at the grant technology: chunky units think about it ran go on board AC spirit and continued patients single for a matter commuter boat weeks. Mid the hang around accolades Bakken received affection his comport yourself in interpretation innovative plan was interpretation Engineering expend Gold grant granted house 1984 hard the Ceremonial Society pan Professional Engineers, wh