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History of Smallpox Timeline
(c. 1350 BCE – Present (eradicated in 1980))Smallpox is one of the deadliest diseases in human history, caused by the variola virus. It plagued humanity for thousands of years, killing millions and shaping empires, until Edward Jenner's 1796 vaccination breakthrough paved the way for a global eradication campaign that succeeded in 1980 — the only human disease ever fully eradicated. More Less
Ancient and Early History
Antonine Plague possibly caused by smallpox
165 - 180
The Antonine Plague swept through the Roman Empire during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, killing an estimated five million people. Many historians believe it was caused by smallpox or measles, though the exact pathogen remains uncertain.
Image source: Antonine Plague
Smallpox spreads to Japan via Korea
585
Smallpox reached Japan from the Asian mainland around 585, marking one of the earliest documented introductions of the disease to East Asia. Epidemics recurred there repeatedly over subsequent centuries.
Image source: History of smallpox
Rhazes distinguishes smallpox from measles
900
The Persian physician Rhazes wrote 'Kitab al-Jadari wa al-Hasbah,' the first clear clinical description distinguishing smallpox from measles. His work became a foundational medical text in Europe for centuries.
Image source: Abu Bakr al-Razi
Crusades spread smallpox across Europe and the Middle East
1096 - 1291
The Crusades accelerated the movement of armies and pilgrims between Europe and the Middle East, facilitating the spread of smallpox throughout the region and contributing to recurring epidemics in medieval Europe.
Early Vaccination Era
Aztec smallpox epidemic aids Spanish conquest
1520
A devastating smallpox epidemic killed large portions of the Aztec population, including Emperor Cuitlahuac, severely weakening resistance to Hernán Cortés's forces. The epidemic was pivotal in the fall of Tenochtitlan.
Image source: Fall of Tenochtitlan
Smallpox devastates Inca Empire
1525
Smallpox preceded the Spanish into the Andes, killing the Inca emperor Huayna Capac and triggering a war of succession that weakened the empire before Francisco Pizarro's arrival.
Image source: Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu introduces variolation to England
1721
After observing variolation practices in the Ottoman Empire, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu promoted the technique in Britain, having her daughter inoculated in 1721. It marked the first deliberate attempt to prevent smallpox in Western Europe.
Image source: Variolation
Boston smallpox epidemic and first American variolation campaign
1721 - 1722
During the Boston epidemic, Reverend Cotton Mather and physician Zabdiel Boylston conducted the first variolation trials in America despite fierce public opposition, demonstrating reduced mortality among inoculated patients.
Image source: 1721 Boston smallpox outbreak
Great Smallpox Pandemic sweeps Europe
1770
A major pandemic of smallpox ravaged Europe in the late 18th century, killing an estimated 400,000 Europeans annually at its height and underscoring the urgent need for prevention.
Edward Jenner performs first vaccination with cowpox
May 14, 1796
Edward Jenner inoculated eight-year-old James Phipps with material from a cowpox sore and later demonstrated immunity to smallpox. His experiment founded the science of vaccination and gave the practice its name, from 'vacca,' Latin for cow.
Image source: Edward Jenner
Key Facts
- Smallpox killed an estimated 300 million people worldwide in the 20th century alone before its eradication.
- Edward Jenner demonstrated in 1796 that inoculation with cowpox could protect against smallpox, founding the science of immunization and giving us the word 'vaccine.'
- European colonizers inadvertently brought smallpox to the Americas, where epidemics devastated Indigenous populations who had no immunity.
- The World Health Organization launched an intensified global eradication campaign in 1967, relying on mass vaccination and surveillance-containment strategies.
- In 1980, the World Health Assembly officially declared smallpox eradicated, making it the first and only human infectious disease to be completely wiped out.
Source
This History of Smallpox timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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