Christine Jorgensen was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery.

In 1950, Jorgensen traveled to Denmark where she underwent hormone treatment, psychiatric evaluations, and finally surgery to remove her male genitalia. She did not receive a surgically created vagina until years later when she was back in the United States.

Following her surgery, Christine stepped off an airplane wrapped in fur and the American media made her an overnight sensation. Her story triggered national discussions about gender identity.

In 1952, she was crowned Woman of the Year by the Scandinavian Society in New York.

Jorgensen herself acknowledged how revolutionary her case was, saying, “We didn’t start the sexual revolution, but I think we gave it a good kick in the pants!”