On March 26, 1953, American medical researcher Dr. Jonas Salk announces on a national radio show that he has successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes the crippling disease of polio. In 1952—an epidemic year for polio—there were 58,000 new cases reported in the United States, and more than 3,000 died from the disease. For his work in helping to eradicate the disease, which is known as “infant paralysis” because it mainly affects children, Dr. Salk was celebrated as the great doctor-benefactor of his time.

READ MORE: 8 Things You May Not Know About Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine

Polio, a disease that affected humanity many times throughout recorded history, attacks the nervous system and can cause varying degrees of paralysis. Since the virus is easily transmitted, epidemics were commonplace in the first decades of the 20th century. The first major polio epidemic in the United States occurred in Vermont in the summer of 1894, and by the 20th century thousands were affected every year. In the first decades of the 20th century, treatments were limited to quarantines and the infamous “iron lung,” a metal coffin-like contraption that aided respiration. Although children, and especially infants, were among the worst affected, adults were also often afflicted, including future president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1921 was stricken with polio at the age of 39 and was left partially paralyzed. Roosevelt later transformed his estate in Warm Springs, Georgia, into a recovery retreat for polio victims and was instrumental in raising funds for polio-related research and the treatment of polio patients.

In March 26, 1953, American medical researcher Dr. Jonas Salk announces on a national radio show that he has successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes the crippling disease of polio. In 1952—an epidemic year for polio—there were 58,000 new cases reported in the United States, and more than 3,000 died from the disease. For his work in helping to eradicate the disease, which is known as “infant paralysis” because it mainly affects children, Dr. Salk was celebrated as the great doctor-benefactor of his time.

READ MORE: 8 Things You May Not Know About Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine

Polio, a disease that affected humanity many times throughout recorded history, attacks the nervous system and can cause varying degrees of paralysis. Since the virus is easily transmitted, epidemics were commonplace in the first decades of the 20th century. The first major polio epidemic in the United States occurred in Vermont in the summer of 1894, and by the 20th century thousands were affected every year. In the first decades of the 20th century, treatments were limited to quarantines and the infamous “iron lung,” a metal coffin-like contraption that aided respiration. Although children, and especially infants, were among the worst affected, adults were also often afflicted, including future president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1921 was stricken with polio at the age of 39 and was left partially paralyzed. Roosevelt later transformed his estate in Warm Springs, Georgia, into a recovery retreat for polio victims and was instrumental in raising funds for polio-related research and the treatment of polio patients.

Citation Information

Article Title

Dr. Jonas Salk announces polio vaccine

AuthorHistory.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/salk-announces-polio-vaccine

Access Date

March 25, 2023

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 28, 2022

Original Published Date

February 9, 2010

MEDICINE

© 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Urge Walgreens to Stand Up to Anti-Choice Republicans

Walgreens just announced that it will not dispense Mifepristone, an abortion pill, in red states where Republicans have threatened legal action — even in states where abortion is legal and available. This decision comes after receiving a letter from 20 state attorneys general threatening legal action if they continued to fill abortion pill prescriptions.

Currently, medication abortion is the most commonly used safe, and effective method to terminate a pregnancy. Many also use it to ease miscarriages.

But the threats have worked. Walgreens says it will not dispense Mifepristone in Kansas, Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Montana, Indiana, Ohio, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Utah.

Sign the petition to urge Walgreens to stand up to anti-choice Republicans.

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1026 – Conrad II was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope John XIX.

1799 – Napoleon captured Jaffa Palestine.

1780 – The British Gazette and Sunday Monitor was published for the first time. It was the first Sunday newspaper in Britain.

1793 – The Holy Roman Emperor formally declared war on France.

1804 – The U.S. Congress ordered the removal of Indians east of the Mississippi to Louisiana.

1804 – The Louisiana Purchase was divided into the District of Louisiana and the Territory of Orleans.

1854 – Charles III, duke of Parma, was attacked by an assassin. He died the next day.

1871 – The Paris Commune was formally set up.

1878 – Hastings College of Law was founded.

1885 – Eastman Kodak (Eastman Dry Plate and Film Co.) produced the first commercial motion picture film in Rochester, NY.

1898 – In South Africa, the world’s first game reserve, the Sabi Game reserve, was designated.

1909 – Russian troops invaded Persia to support Muhammad Ali as shah in place of the constitutional government.

1910 – The U.S. Congress passed an amendment to the 1907 Immigration Act that barred criminals, paupers, anarchists and carriers of disease from settling in the U.S.

1913 – During the Balkan War, the Bulgarians took Adrianople.

1917 – At the start of the battle of Gaza, the British cavalry withdrew when 17,000 Turks blocked their advance.

1937 – Spinach growers in Crystal City, TX, erected a statue of Popeye.

1938 – Herman Goering warned all Jews to leave Austria.

1942 – The Germans began sending Jews to Auschwitz in Poland.

1945 – The battle of Iwo Jima ended.

1945 – In the Aleutians, the battle of Komandorski began when the Japanese attempted to reinforce a garrison at Kiska and were intercepted by a U.S. naval force.

1951 – The U.S. Air Force flag was approved. The flag included the coat of arms, 13 white stars and the Air Force seal on a blue background.

1953 – Dr. Jonas Salk announced a new vaccine that would prevent poliomyelitis.

1956 – Red Buttons made his debut as a television actor in “Studio One” on CBS television.

1958 – The U.S. Army launched America’s third successful satellite, Explorer III.

1962 – The U.S. Supreme Court supported the 1-man-1-vote apportionment of seats in the State Legislature.

1969 – The TV movie “Marcus Welby” was seen on ABC-TV. It was later turned into a series.

1971 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared East Pakistan to be the independent republic of Bangladesh.

1971 – “Cannon” premiered on CBS-TV as a movie. It was turned into a series later in the year.

1972 – The Los Angeles Lakers broke a National Basketball Association (NBA) record by winning 69 of their 82 games.

1973 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat took over the premiership and said “the stage of total confrontation (with Israel) has become inevitable.”

1973 – Women were allowed on the floor of the London Stock Exchange for the first time.

1979 – The Camp David treaty was signed by Israel and Egypt that ended the 31-year state of war between the countries.

1981 – In Great Britain, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) gained official recognition.

1982 – Ground breaking ceremonies were held in Washington, DC, for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

1983 – The U.S. performed a nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site.

1989 – The first free elections took place in the Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin was elected.

1991 – The presidents of Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay signed an agreement that established the Southern Cone Common Market, a free-trade zone, by January 1, 1995.

1992 – In Indianapolis, heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was found guilty of rape. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison. He only served three.

1995 – Seven of the 15 European Union states abolished border controls.

1996 – The International Monetary Fund approved a $10.2 billion loan for Russia to help the country transform its economy.

1997 – The 39 bodies of Heaven’s Gate members are found in a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. The group had committed suicide thinking that they would be picked up by a spaceship following behind the comet Hale-Bopp.

1998 – In the U.S., the Federal government endorses new HIV test that yields instant results.

1998 – Unisys Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. pay a $3.15 million fine for selling spare parts at inflated prices to the U.S. federal government.

1999 – The macro virus “Melissa” was reported for the first.

1999 – In Michigan, Dr. Jack Kevorkian was convicted of second-degree murder for giving a terminally ill man a lethal injection and putting it all on videotape on September 17, 1998 for “60 Minutes.”

2000 – The Seattle Kingdome was imploded to make room for a new football arena.

2000 – In Russia, acting President Vladimir Putin was elected president outright. He won a sufficient number of votes to avoid a runoff election.

2007 – The design for the “Forever Stamp” was unveiled by the U.S. Postal Service.

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