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  1. Home
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  3. October
  4. 26
  5. Ali Maow Maalin

Events on October 26 in history

1977Oct, 26

Ali Maow Maalin, the last natural case of smallpox, develops rash in Merca district, Somalia. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider this date the anniversary of the eradication of smallpox, the most spectacular success of vaccination.

Ali Maow Maalin (Somali: Cali Macow Macallin; also Mao Moallim and Mao' Mo'allim; 1954 – 22 July 2013) was a Somali hospital cook and health worker from Merca who is the last person known to have been infected with naturally occurring Variola minor smallpox. He was diagnosed with the disease in October 1977 and made a full recovery. Although he had many contacts, none of them developed the disease, and an aggressive containment campaign was successful in preventing an outbreak. Smallpox was declared to have been eradicated globally by the World Health Organization (WHO) two years later. Maalin was subsequently involved in the successful poliomyelitis eradication campaign in Somalia, and he died of malaria while carrying out polio vaccinations after the re-emergence of the poliovirus in 2013.

References

  • Ali Maow Maalin
  • Smallpox
  • Somalia
  • World Health Organization
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Vaccination

Choose Another Date

Events on 1977

  • 23Mar

    Watergate scandal

    The first of The Nixon Interviews (12 will be recorded over four weeks) are videotaped with British journalist David Frost interviewing former United States President Richard Nixon about the Watergate scandal and the Nixon tapes.
  • 5Jul

    Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

    Military coup in Pakistan: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, is overthrown.
  • 4Aug

    Jimmy Carter

    U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the United States Department of Energy.
  • 15Aug

    Search for extraterrestrial intelligence

    The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the "Wow! signal" from the notation made by a volunteer on the project.
  • 21Nov

    God Save the Queen

    Minister of Internal Affairs Allan Highet announces that the national anthems of New Zealand shall be the traditional anthem "God Save the Queen" and "God Defend New Zealand".

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