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1948 Sunnybrook Veterans Hospital opened as the largest veterans hospital in Canada

1955 Orthopaedic & Arthritic Hospital opened as the only hospital in Canada specializing in surgical correction of orthopaedic and arthritic problems

1963 Sunnybrook becomes the first hospital in Ontario to use mammography as a diagnostic tool to detect breast cancer

1970 Orthopaedic & Arthritic Hospital created the first preoperative patient assessment, education and orientation program in Canada

1971 First perinatal intensive care unit opens in Canada

1973 Sunnybrook co-founded first national organization of diabetes educators, first chair of the organization, and conceived the first national conference on diabetes education

1973 Bay Centre for Birth Control, the first hospital-supported center opens, offering sexual and reproductive health services

1973 A founder of the Orthopaedic & Arthritic Hospital was instrumental in designing the "Bateman Hip," a single assembly artificial hip system

1976 Toronto Back Unit opens; the first of its kind in Canada. Known today as the Canadian Back Institute

1976 Canada's first and largest trauma unit opens caring for patients suffering from the most acute injuries

1985 The world's first trial evaluating natural surfactant replacement therapy for the prevention of respiratory distress syndrome in premature newborns. As a result, it is now the standard of care

1986 The P.A.R.T.Y. (Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth) Program is launched. The program educates students aged 15 to 18 about preventing injuries. P.A.R.T.Y. has grown to include 58 programs in Canada and three in the United States

1987 Brief Psychotherapy Centre for Women, first hospital-based therapy program in Canada, opens

1987 Orthopaedic & Arthritic Hospital is the only Canadian site to participate in an international clinical trial using laser technology in arthroscopic knee surgery

1989 Sunnybrook is one of the first in Canada to offer stereotactic radio-surgery, a precision technique for localizing small intracranial targets and directing radiation beams from a linear accelerator

1991 Sunnybrook invents and licenses the world's first high frequency ultrasound micro-imaging scanner for pre-clinical imaging. This scanner is now used around the world for research applications and clinical imaging of the eye to detect glaucoma and anterior segment tumors

1993 Sunnybrook is the first in Canada and only one of a few in the world to pioneer fertility-preserving surgery for young women with early cervical cancer

1993 The world's first international Digital Mammography Development Group, led by Sunnybrook scientists, is formed. The Group will later make dramatic breakthroughs in developing new technology for the detection of breast cancer

1994 Sunnybrook leads the team that discovers the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, in the prevention and treatment of genetic breast and ovarian cancer

1994 Sunnybrook is the first in Canada to introduce new internal fixation techniques for C spine fractures using lateral mass plates, and pedicle screws for thoracic spine stabilization surgery

1994 Sunnybrook and University Health Network show a correlation between breast density and increased risk of breast cancer

1994 Canada's first minimally invasive gynecological surgery program teaches clinicians how to perform procedures that enable women to recover more quickly and comfortably

1996 Sunnybrook is one of the first in Canada to offer CT simulation to assist in planning radiation treatment for cancer patients

1996 OCC is the first Canadian centre to have a Rapid Response Radiotherapy Program to offer fast access for palliative irradiation

1997 Sunnybrook is the first to identify the needs of women with diabetes at menopause. A written resource Diabetes, Menopause & Beyond is the only resource of its kind in the world

1997 Sunnybrook scientists provide first worldwide proof that using a cellular telephone while driving leads to a four-fold increase in the risk of a motor vehicle collision

1997 OCC is the world headquarters for the Aventis-Pasteur global cancer vaccine project,
providing the opportunity for appropriate patient populations to participate in state-of-the- art cancer vaccine trials

1998 Photodynamic therapy for potential treatment of Spine Metastases is introduced for the first time in North America

1998 Scientists are the first worldwide to analyze the dramatic fall and rise in the rates of carotid endarterectomy, a surgical procedure designed to prevent stroke, in the United States and Canada

1999 Imaging researchers develop the world's first method to image blood flowing in the microscopic vessels in the muscle of the heart in real-time, a technique that is now used internationally. An accurate view of cardiac microscopic vessels is key to improving diagnosis and treatment for heart attacks

1999 Sunnybrook researchers demonstrate that social economic status predicts both better treatment and better survival following a heart attack in Canada