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 heights of popularity and critical acclaim" with this particular record. Two years after its original release, "Countdown to Extinction" was certified triple platinum and became the band's most commercially successful album, confirming that they had retained their audience in the wake of grunge. The record was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards, while the album's title track won the Humane Society's Genesis Award for raising awareness for animal rights issues. The record enjoyed similar chart success outside of the United States. It managed to peak within the top 5 on the charts in the United Kingdom