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: Live and in sales numbers (2× platinum). The "20th anniversary tour" idea for this album follows on a similar tour in honor of the 20th anniversary of another Megadeth album, "Rust in Peace" (1990) and its associated live album. Fred Thomas of Allmusic commented that while the execution of the album was "surprisingly interesting", the production and feel of the original album were not present. "Countdown to Extinction: Live" sold about 3600 copies in the U.S. during its first week, enough to reach number 119 on the "Billboard" 200. All tracks from "Countdown to Extinction" unless otherwise noted; all music and