1980Reputable sourceWell documented
The Eradication of Smallpox
On the timeline · around 1980 · The Modern Age
What happened
Smallpox had killed hundreds of millions of people across history. Beginning in 1967, the World Health Organization led a global campaign of vaccination and case-tracking to hunt down every last outbreak. The final natural case occurred in 1977, and in 1980 the WHO declared smallpox eradicated.
Why it matters
Smallpox is the only human disease ever deliberately wiped from the face of the Earth — arguably the single greatest achievement in the history of public health, and proof that a pandemic disease can be defeated.
Sources
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. History of Smallpox · Reputable source
Related timelines
- Medicine → — Medicine's greatest triumph