The Dentist with the Smile: Horace Wells, the Famed Laughing Gas Pioneer

Born in 1815, Hartford, Connecticut, Horace Wells was a master of 'The Laughing Gas'. His highlight came in 1846, a milestone memorable enough to become a recognized breakthrough. In 1875, eight years after his death, a statue, sculpted by Hammatt Billington and cast by the Gruet Foundry in Paris, was erected in his honor in Bushnell Park. It stands eight feet tall, cloaked in a medical gown, and brandishes a hammer. On October 31, 1875, the statue was dedicated. Today it stays. A bronze plaque next to it, engraved with a quote from John Greenleaf Whitier, reads, 'The Laughing Gas, that made him famous with laughter.'

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons