1977
Norman Bethune (Chinese: 白求恩) was a Canadian thoracic surgeon and a political activist in the early-mid 1900s. He began his medical career in 1917 as a doctor for the Canadian forces in World War I. After, he was a surgeon for the loyalist forces during the Spanish Civil War where he established the first mobile blood transfusion service.
In 1935, Bethune took a trip to the Soviet Union. Upon his return to Canada, Bethune joined the Communist Party of Canada. In 1938, he left Canada in order to serve as a surgeon for the Chinese army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. While in China, Bethune organized field hospitals and established medical schools. Bethune died on November 12, 1939 in China from blood poisoning after cutting his own finger while operating on a soldier.
Following Bethune’s death, Mao Zedong wrote an essay titled “In Memory of Norman Bethune” (纪念白求恩) which documented the final months of Bethune’s life in China. During the early years of the Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao published his essay. During the 1960s, Mao’s essay became required reading in China’s elementary schools. Norman Bethune became a common name to Chinese households and is viewed as a national hero of China.
