In the 18th Century, smallpox killed 400,000 people annually in Europe, with one-third of its survivors going blind. With an infant mortality rate of 80% in London, smallpox was perhaps the most widespread killer of the time. Toward the end of the century, English physician Edward Jenner discovered a safe vaccine for the disease. According to UNICEF, administration of the smallpox vaccine in modern times prevents 5 million deaths annually.
World Population : 170,060,000
Key: 1,000,000 People 1,000,000 People (Annotated) Milestone
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In the 18th Century, smallpox killed 400,000 people annually in Europe, with one-third of its survivors going blind. With an infant mortality rate of 80% in London, smallpox was perhaps the most widespread killer of the time. Toward the end of the century, English physician Edward Jenner discovered a safe vaccine for the disease. According to UNICEF, administration of the smallpox vaccine in modern times prevents 5 million deaths annually.
In the 18th Century, smallpox killed 400,000 people annually in Europe, with one-third of its survivors going blind. With an infant mortality rate of 80% in London, smallpox was perhaps the most widespread killer of the time. Toward the end of the century, English physician Edward Jenner discovered a safe vaccine for the disease. According to UNICEF, administration of the smallpox vaccine in modern times prevents 5 million deaths annually.