Henry Judah Heimlich was born on February 3, 1920, in Wilmington, Delaware. He studied at Cornell University and earned his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College in 1943. During World War II, he served as a U.S. Navy doctor in China, where he treated soldiers with severe injuries and gained early experience in lifesaving techniques.

In 1974, Heimlich introduced the Heimlich maneuver, a simple but revolutionary method to save choking victims by applying abdominal thrusts to expel airway obstructions. The technique quickly became a global standard, credited with saving thousands of lives. Remarkably, Heimlich himself used the maneuver in 2016 to save a fellow resident at his retirement community, just months before his death.

Beyond the maneuver, Heimlich contributed to other medical innovations, including the Heimlich chest drain valve, used to treat collapsed lungs, and research into malariotherapy as a potential treatment for certain diseases. While some of his later ideas were controversial, his impact on emergency medicine remains undeniable.

Heimlich was married to author Jane Murray Heimlich until her death in 2016, and together they raised four children.

Henry Heimlich’s legacy is defined by his ingenuity, persistence, and commitment to saving lives. His name has become synonymous with one of the most widely recognized emergency procedures in the world, ensuring his place in medical history.