On This Day

Ebola vaccine VSV-EBOV is found to be 70-100% effective in a study published in The Lancet, becoming the world's first p

Ebola vaccine VSV-EBOV is found to be 70-100% effective in a study published in The Lancet, becoming the world's first proven vaccine against Ebola

The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in West Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The first cases were recorded in Guinea in December 2013; the disease spread to neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, with minor outbreaks occurring in Nigeria and Mali. Secondary infections of medical workers occurred in the United States and Spain. Isolated cases were recorded in Senegal, the United Kingdom and Italy. The number of cases peaked in October 2014 and then began to decline gradually, following the commitment of substantial international resources. It caused significant mortality, with a considerable case fatality rate.

Historical Significance

The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in West Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history.

Events Before

  1. Lithuania adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the Litas and becoming the 19th member of the Eurozone

    Lithuania adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the Litas and becoming the 19th member of the Eurozone

  2. 17-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand becomes the youngest golfer in men's or women's golf history to be ranked No. 1 in t

    17-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand becomes the youngest golfer in men's or women's golf history to be ranked No. 1 in the world

  3. Marvin Gaye's family wins a record $7.3 million lawsuit for music copyright infringement against Robin Thicke, Pharrell

    Marvin Gaye's family wins a record $7.3 million lawsuit for music copyright infringement against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I.

  4. TV personality Kris Jenner and athlete Bruce Jenner divorce after 13 years of marriage

    Caitlyn Marie Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete. Jenner played college football for the Graceland...

  5. Barack Obama and Raúl Castro meet in Panama, the first meeting of US and Cuban heads of state since the Cuban Revolution

    Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and general who served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most senior position in the one-party communist state, from 2011 to...

Events After

  1. Australian Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams defeats older sister Venus Williams 6–4, 6–4 for her 7th Australian titl

    Australian Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams defeats older sister Venus Williams 6–4, 6–4 for her 7th Australian title and record 23rd Grand Slam event singles victory

  2. Discovery of a new mostly underwater continent, Zealandia, in the South Pacific is announced in the research journal "GS

    Discovery of a new mostly underwater continent, Zealandia, in the South Pacific is announced in the research journal "GSA Today"

  3. Jay-Z becomes the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Max Martin, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lew

    Jay-Z becomes the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Max Martin, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis

  4. World's oldest golf club, Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women as members for the first time in 273 years

    World's oldest golf club, Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women as members for the first time in 273 years

  5. Bob Dylan receives his Nobel Prize for Literature at a private ceremony in Stockholm

    Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter.

More from the 2010s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 22, 2016?
The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in West Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The first cases were recorded in Guinea in December 2013; the disease spread to neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, with minor outbreaks occurring in Nigeria and Mali.
Why is Ebola vaccine VSV-EBOV is found to be 70-100% effective in a study published ... significant?
The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in West Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history.

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