You may have never heard of Timmie Jean Lindsay, but when it comes to pioneers, she ranks right up there with Neil Armstrong and The Wright Brothers. So what exactly is this Texas great-grandmother's claim to fame...and why do women like Pamela Anderson, Jordan, and Heidi Montag owe her a big thank you?

She was the first person ever to get breast implants. That's right - this 75-year-old granny is silicone-enhanced.

In a Daily Mail profile, Timmie Jean says that in 1962 she agreed to be a guinea pig of sorts the groundbreaking cosmetic procedure, and had "rubber-encased, gel-filled orbs" implanted into her chest, increasing her from a B cup to a C cup. Still, she says that prior to the surgery she had never been unhappy with her breasts.

"It wasn't my breasts that bothered me, it was my ears," she said. "I was newly divorced; I hadn't had a lot of offers. So I told Dr. Gerow I'd do the new breasts if he would fix my ears."

Early breast implants were notoriously dangerous, with many testers experiencing inflammations and hard, visually unappealing breasts.
"If Dr. Gerow told me there were any risks, I didn't listen," she said. "When I came round from the anesthetic, it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. But when they took off the bandages after ten days, my breasts looked beautiful. All the young doctors were standing around to look at 'the masterpiece.'"

Fast-forward to ten years later, when Timmie Jean felt her breasts harden and experienced shooting pains, along with chronic fatigue, rashes, and a dry mouth and eyes. Though she's been advised that these are complications caused by silicone damage, Timmie Jean has never sued or had her implants removed. In fact, she considers her breasts to be a major achievement, despite the discomfort.
"I am proud of what I have done," she says. "I pioneered implants that have benefited thousands of women."