New Delhi: On this day in 1975, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared Asia a smallpox-free region, marking one of humanity’s greatest medical achievements.
Smallpox, once a deadly infectious disease that claimed millions of lives over centuries, was eradicated through a coordinated global effort. The WHO launched its global smallpox eradication program in the 1960s, focusing on extensive vaccination and surveillance campaigns.
Asian nations, including India, played a crucial role in this mission. The last case of smallpox in India was reported in Khagaria district, Bihar, in 1975. Following rigorous vaccination drives and monitoring, Asia was declared smallpox-free. Later, in 1980, the WHO announced the complete eradication of smallpox worldwide, making it the first disease ever eliminated by human effort.
Significant Events on November 13
- 1898 – On the occasion of Kali Puja, Holy Mother Sarada Devi inaugurated Sister Nivedita’s school.
- 1918 – Austria became a republic.
- 1950 – Tibet appealed to the United Nations against Chinese aggression.
- 1968 – Former Pakistani leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was arrested.
- 1971 – NASA’s Mariner 9 spacecraft entered Mars orbit, becoming the first to do so.
- 1975 – WHO declared Asia free from smallpox.
- 1985 – A volcanic eruption in eastern Colombia killed about 23,000 people.
- 1997 – The UN Security Council imposed a travel ban on Iraq.
- 1998 – Despite Chinese opposition, the Dalai Lama met with US President Bill Clinton.
- 2004 – US President George W. Bush set a four-year timeline for establishing a Palestinian state.
- 2005 – The 13th SAARC Summit concluded with an agreement to strengthen regional cooperation; the 14th summit was decided to be held in India.
- 2007 – The Commonwealth gave Pakistan ten days to lift its state of emergency.
- 2007 – Indian film Gandhi, My Father won the Best Screenplay Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Australia.
- 2008 – The Asom Gana Parishad joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
- 2009 – In Jharkhand, Naxalites abducted former MLA Ramchandra Singh along with six others.
Births
- 1780 – Maharaja Ranjit Singh, ruler of Punjab.
- 1873 – Mukund Ramrao Jayakar, educationist, jurist, and constitutional scholar.
- 1892 – Rai Krishnadas, storyteller and prose-poet.
- 1917 – Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh, renowned progressive poet.
- 1917 – Vasantdada Patil, leader of the Indian National Congress.
- 1945 – Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, senior Congress leader and former AIFF president.
- 1967 – Meenakshi Seshadri, Indian actress.
- 1968 – Juhi Chawla, Indian film actress.
Deaths
- 1589 – Bhagwandas, passed away in Lahore.
- 1962 – Ghulam Yazdani, Indian archaeologist.
- 2010 – D. V. S. Raju, Indian film producer.
(This story is a translated version from a syndicated Agency feed. Except for the headline, The content has not been edited by The Central Post staff.)
