Smallpox

Historical eventDecember 91979

Smallpox

The eradication of the smallpox virus is certified, making smallpox the first of only two diseases that have been driven to extinction (with rinderpest in 2011 being the other).

Everything on December 9Original source

In context

When
Sunday, December 9 197947 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1970s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1979.

What happened

Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by the variola virus, which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization certified the global eradication of the disease in 1980, making smallpox the only human disease to have been eradicated.

December 9 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1979Smallpox
  2. 2008Governor of Illinois
  3. 20122012 Nuevo León Learjet 25 crash
  4. 20132013 Bintaro train crash
  5. 2016Madagali
  6. 2016Park Geun-hye
  7. 2017Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017
  8. 2017Same-sex marriage in Australia
  9. 2019Whakaari / White Island
  10. 2021Central America
  11. 2022Member of the European Parliament

Also in 1979

  • March 14Alia Royal Jordanian Flight 600Alia Royal Jordanian Flight 600 crashes at Doha International Airport, killing 45 people.
  • September 13Venda (Bantustan)South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
  • September 14Nur Muhammad TarakiAfghan president Nur Muhammad Taraki (pictured) was overthrown and later killed on the orders of Hafizullah Amin, who succeeded him.
  • September 16East Germany balloon escapeEight people escaped from East Germany to West Germany in a home-made hot air balloon.
  • September 16The Sugarhill GangThe Sugarhill Gang released their first single, Rapper's Delight.
  • May 25Disappearance of Etan PatzSix-year-old Etan Patz disappeared on his way to school in New York City, and later became one of the first missing children to have his…
  • May 25O'Hare International AirportDuring takeoff from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, an engine detached from American Airlines Flight 191, causing a crash that k…
  • May 25John SpenkelinkJohn Spenkelink, a convicted murderer, is executed in Florida; he is the first person to be executed in the state after the reintroductio…

Everything we record for 1979 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Smallpox”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/smallpox-1979-december-9, accessed October 24, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Smallpox happen?

December 9 1979 — 47 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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