May 8, 1980Reputable sourceWell documented
Smallpox is eradicated
On the timeline · around May 8, 1980 ·
What happened
The World Health Assembly declared smallpox eradicated — the first and still only human disease wiped out, after a global vaccination campaign.
Why it matters
The single greatest achievement of public health: a killer of ~300 million in the 20th century, gone.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Smallpox · Reputable source