History of smallpox centuries, the WHO certified the global eradication of smallpox in December 1979. Smallpox is one of two infectious diseases to have been eradicated, the other being rinderpest, which was declared eradicated in 2011. It has been suggested that smallpox was a major component of the Plague of Athens that occurred in 430 BCE, during the Peloponnesian Wars, and was described by Thucydides. Galen's description of the Antonine Plague, which swept through the Roman Empire in 165–180, indicates that it was probably caused by smallpox. Returning soldiers brought the disease home with them to Syria and Italy, where it raged for
Countdown to Extinction some of the biggest hooks the genre had ever seen". In a retrospective review of the album, Craig Hayes from Popmatters wrote that "Countdown to Extinction"'s "status as a gateway metal album is indisputable" and its "popularity speaks volumes about its significance in the metal canon". The group started the "Countdown to Extinction" tour in 1992 with Pantera, Suicidal Tendencies and White Zombie as the opening acts. They headlined the Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen on June 27 the same year, and continued with dates in Europe during the summer. The tour carried on throughout 1993, with the band making appearances