History: October 16 (#3)

History: October 16 (#3)
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
October 16, 1975 Three-year-old Rahima Banu, from Bangladesh, is the last known case of naturally occurring smallpox.

Commentary

Commentary

On October 16, in the year 1975: Three-year-old Rahima B anu, from Bangladesh, is the last known case of naturally occurring smallpox. Rahima Banu Begum is the last known person to have been infected with naturally occurring Variola major smallpox, the more deadly variety of the disease.

Commentary

Why October 16, 1975 matters: Three-year-old Rahima Banu , from Bangladesh, is the last known case of naturally occurring smallpox. What began on this day left a lasting mark on history. The effects were felt immediately and continued to shape events, ideas, and lives long afterwards.

Commentary

Historical context: October 16, 1975 The 20th century brought change at a pace unprecedented in hist ory: two world wars, the rise and fall of fascism and communism, decolonisation, the Cold War, the space race, and revolutions in science, technology, and human rights all compressed into one hundred years. The event on this day: Three-year-old Rahima Banu, from Bangladesh, is the last known case of naturally occurring smallpox. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahima_Banu (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)