Several of my friends posted on Facebook/threw parties this weekend for a date of May 8. However, searching on Facebook, I find that I and several other friends have been posting celebratory messages on Facebook on December 9 in previous years.
The global eradication of smallpox was certified, based on intense verification activities, by a commission of eminent scientists on 9 December 1979 and subsequently endorsed by the World Health Assembly on 8 May 1980.
“500 Million, But Not a Single One More”, which is widely shared and has been adapted at least once for reading at a large Secular Solstice, uses the December 9 date.
I think creating more consensus on which date is the “official” one for celebration purposes would be a small improvement (at the very least: I would stop confusing my relatives by year-to-year inconsistency on when I message them a little commemoration). So, which is it?
[Question] What is the best day to celebrate Smallpox Eradication Day?
Several of my friends posted on Facebook/threw parties this weekend for a date of May 8. However, searching on Facebook, I find that I and several other friends have been posting celebratory messages on Facebook on December 9 in previous years.
This inconsistency is probably because there are two obvious candidate dates for eradication:
“500 Million, But Not a Single One More”, which is widely shared and has been adapted at least once for reading at a large Secular Solstice, uses the December 9 date.
I think creating more consensus on which date is the “official” one for celebration purposes would be a small improvement (at the very least: I would stop confusing my relatives by year-to-year inconsistency on when I message them a little commemoration). So, which is it?