Phineas Gage

Biography

Phineas Gage (1823–1860) was a railroad construction foreman whose life was forever altered by a tragic accident in 1848, when a tamping iron was driven through his skull. Despite this devastating injury, Gage's remarkable survival and subsequent life became a landmark case in the history of neuroscience and medicine, providing early insights into the relationship between brain injury and personality change.

His case has been studied and discussed by medical professionals and scientists for generations, contributing invaluably to our understanding of the human brain. Gage rests at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, remembered not only for his tragic accident but for the scientific knowledge his experience helped to advance.