- All Timelines
- Britain - Changing Lives
- c.1066 |Medieval Manor
- c.1180 |Medieval Minds
- c.1250 |Medieval Towns
- c.1320 |Monastic Life
- c.1348 |The Black Death
- c.1420 |Yeoman England
- c.1520 |The Reformation
- c.1588 |Shakespeare's World
- c.1612 |Pendle Witches
- c.1775 |Iron and Industry
- c.1785 |Factories and Machines
- c.1810 |Urban Slums
- c.1834 |Tolpuddle Martyrs
- c.1853 |The Vision of Titus Salt
- c.1875 |Cities Transformed
- c.1910 |A Golden Age?
- c.1984 |Death of Industry
- Britain - Rulers & Ruled
- c.1066 |Norman Conquest
- c.1170 |Church & Crown
- c.1215 |Magna Carta
- c.1280 |First Parliaments
- c.1381 |Peasants Revolt
- c.1470 |The Pastons
- c.1528 |Henry VIII & Church
- c.1649 |Civil War
- c.1658 |The Wheel of History
- c.1688 |"Glorious" Revolution
- c.1789 |Rights of Man
- c.1819 |Peterloo Massacre
- c.1842 |The Chartists
- c.1867 |Dawn of Democracy
- c.1893 |Rise of Labour
- c.1903 |Votes for Women
- c.1919 |Century of Change
- Britain - Nations & Empire
- Smallpox Through Time
- c.1045BC |Face of a Pharaoh
- c.1562 |Arsenic and Old Lace
- c.1617 |Smallpox in America
- c.1711 |Child Pox
- c.1721 |Experiment in Newgate
- c.1758 |The Speckled Monster
- c.1796 |Jenner's Breakthrough
- c.1800 |The Vaccine Triumphant
- c.1806 |Ox-faced Boys
- c.1853 |Public Health & Protest
- c.1896 |Epidemic on Camera
- c.1967 |Global Action
- c.2010 |Smallpox Today
- The American West
- Britain - Changing Lives
- This Module
- In 1967, the World Health Organization set a ten year deadline for the global eradication of smallpox. It was an act of unprecedented human ambition in the face of a disease responsible for an estimated 10 million deaths a year. How did they achieve the seemingly impossible? Andrew sets out to explain.
- Credits
Smallpox Through Time
- 12.Global Action
-
1967-1977
The World Health Organisation eradicates a global killer. (5.5 mins)
-
13.Smallpox Today
-
-
1978-2010
next video 13/13
Secondary Resources
- 1. The decline of smallpox in the West
By the early 20th century, smallpox fatalities... Read more
- 2. Global eradication
In 1967, the WHO embarked... Read more
- 3. Mass vaccination vs containment
The WHO knew traditional strategies... Read more
- 4. Overcoming local obstacles
In some places, especially on the Indian subcontinent... Read more
- 5. A world free of smallpox
After the final cases of the disease in India... Read more
Picture Viewer
Location details
The World Health Organisation building in Geneva was opened in 1966. It's designed by the Swiss architect Jean Tschumi. It sits on a hill near the headquarters of the Red Cross, and the Geneva UN building. It's a district that exudes a comforting sense of global community.
The new statue outside the HQ, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox, is by the Welsh sculptor Martin Williams.
Our Sponsor: The Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a global charity dedicated to achieving improvements in human and animal health.
Timelines: "Smallpox through Time" was entirely funded with through a Wellcome Trust Public Engagement Award. We are very grateful for the Trust's support in the making of this resource.
