Video Lessons
How We Conquered the Deadly Smallpox Virus
Smallpox is a virus that originated in northeastern Africa around 10,000 years ago, and spread around the world through Egyptian merchants, the Arab world, and the Spanish and Portuguese conquests. It killed billions of people, with 300-500 million killed in the 20th century alone. The fall of smallpox began with variolation in 1022 A.D., and was eventually eradicated through vaccination campaigns and the use of cowpox virus instead of the actual smallpox virus. The World Health Organization certified smallpox’s eradication in 1979.