When was the first pacemaker used in America?

The pacemaker was developed almost simultaneously by two different groups but most authorities give the nod to the first pacemaker implant to Sweden. The device was developed in the kitchen of an engineer named Sven Elmqvist who worked for a company called Elema. Elmqvist was approached by a persistent woman who was convinced her ailing husband's Heart disease could be managed if he could just get electrical stimulation consistently to his heart. Elmqvist built the device and it was implanted in Arne Larsson in 1952. Arne Larsson has since passed away but he lived another 50 years with pacemakers and became a huge pacemaker advocate.

Meanwhile, Earl Bakken worked on a similar device in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He built his pacemaker based on plans he got out of Popular Mechanics for a metronome (to get the precise timing).

First pacemaker, Sweden, second one, US.