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WHO declares smallpox eradicated; the disease that killed half a billion people is gone

After decades of mass vaccination campaigns across dozens of countries, the world body certifies that no known case of smallpox remains anywhere on Earth.

In 1980, the World Health Organization confirmed the eradication of smallpox, marking a monumental victory in global health. This achievement was the result of decades of relentless effort, international collaboration, and innovative strategies. The eradication of smallpox not only saved countless lives but also demonstrated the power of global unity in combating deadly diseases…

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More from May 8
1639

Coddington founds Newport; a new settlement opens on Aquidneck Island for those driven out by the Antinomian Controversy

The colony takes shape as Coddington plants a settlement built around the promise of religious freedom in Rhode Island.
1846

Taylor's army beats a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande; a war is now underway

American troops hold their ground in the first major engagement of the border dispute, with the armies still in the field and the outcome of the wider conflict far from settled.
1976

Six Flags opens the world's first modern looping coaster; the Great American Revolution launches at Magic Mountain

The ride debuts in the park's Bicentennial summer, sending riders through a complete vertical loop for the first time on a modern steel coaster.
19421776 Club
Carrier aircraft do all the fighting as Allied forces move to block a Japanese thrust into the South Pacific.
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More from Cold War America
1946

Blandy detonates the bomb over Bikini; the target fleet survives, and the Navy claims vindication

Test Able misses its aim point by 2,130 feet, scattering results that disappoint the Navy's critics but settle nothing about the weapon's power at sea.
1964

Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act; King watches as a year's promise becomes law

The bill survived 72 days of Senate delay to pass 73 to 27, outlawing discrimination by race, sex, religion, and national origin in schools, workplaces, and public accommodations.
1960

50-star flag rises over Fort McHenry; Hawaii's star joins the banner at last

Eisenhower ordered the new design the moment Hawaii's admission was official last August, and the flag now flying above Baltimore carries the pattern for all 50 states.
1962

AEC detonates 'Sedan' 636 feet underground at Yucca Flat; 12 million tons of earth go skyward

The radioactive cloud is already drifting east, and early tracking puts fallout exposure across the Midwest at more than 13 million people.
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