| Year | Events |
| (a) Allograft transplantation | |
| 1913 | Early 20th century, Dr. Alexis Carrell transplanted kidney, heart and spleen in animals. |
| 1940’s | Sir Peter Medawar proposed immuno-rejection theory and won Noble Prize. |
| 1954 | Dr. Joseph E. Murray performed the 1st successful human kidney transplant. |
| 1962 | Dr. Joseph E. Murray also performed 1st cadaveric kidney transplant and used azathioprine for immuno-suppression. |
| 1963 | Dr. James Hardy performed the 1st lung transplant |
| 1966 | Minnesota surgeons performed the 1st human pancreatic transplant |
| 1967 | Dr. Thomas Starzl of Colorado performed the 1st human liver transplant. |
| 1967 | Dr. Christian Barnard of South Africa performed the 1st human heart transplant. |
| 1983 | Dr. Joel Cooper of Toronto performed the 1st successful human lung transplant and performed the 1st successful double lung transplant 3-years later |
| (b) Autograft Transplantation | |
| 1969 | Dr. Harvey J. Buncke (father of microsurgery) and Dr. Donald McLean 1st transferred the omentum by microvascular technique to fill a large scalp defect. |
| 1972 | Dr. Harvey J. Buncke 1st transplanted a great toe to the thumb. |
| 1974 | Dr. Frank Jobe performed a pioneering ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction using tendon-to-ligament grafting for major baseball pitcher Tommy John. |
| 2012 | Dr. Susan McKinnon of St. Louis, performed a ground breaking procedure of “nerve transfer surgery” on a quadriplegic patient who regained use of his hand. |