On this day ...... 1789 (220 years ago today), the Constituent Assembly of France adopted the Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen (left), an instrument that, as I've discussed in this article, remains not only part of the French legal structure, but also a global human rights inspiration, to this day. Odd that no one dubbed it a Legal Wonder of the World in IntLawGrrls' contest of the same name.
... 1910, Jessie Gray (below right) was born in Augusta, Georgia. As an adult she would become one of a handful of leading cancer surgeons in North America, and thus earn the nickname "Canada's 'first lady of surgery.'" Among her other "1st" achievements: in 1934, 1st woman to receive a gold medal in medicine at the University of Toronto; in 1939, 1st woman to obtain the master of surgery degree;
1st woman resident surgeon at the Toronto General Hospital; in 1941, 1st woman fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons; 1st woman member of the Central Surgical Society of North America; and in 1966, 1st woman to be elected to the Science Council of Canada. In 1941 Dr. Gray joined the staff at Women's College Hospital in Toronto, and she held the post of surgeon in chief from 1945 until her retirement 2 decades later. She died in Toronto in 1978.(Prior August 26 posts here and here)
