2015 Event An outbreak of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) continues to spread in South Korea, where 11 people have died, 126 have been diagnosed, and over 3,000 people have been quarantined in an attempt to stop the epidemic 2015 Event The World Health Organization declares Liberia free of the Ebola virus after a period of 42 days with no new cases, which is twice the normal quarantine duration; over 4,700 people perished in the nation during the epidemic 2015 Event Officials at the World Health Organization state that the number of new Ebola cases is rapidly declining, signaling a reversal of the epidemic; however, preventive measures and safety protocols are still needed in Ebola-infected nations 2014 Event Pope Francis gives his annual Christmas address from the Vatican, praying for groups that included refugees and exiles, persecuted Christian communities, and workers fighting the Ebola epidemic 2014 Event Dr. Craig Spencer, diagnosed with Ebola on October 23rd, is healed and has been discharged from the hospital; Spencer raised fears of a U.S. epidemic after reporting that he had traveled to various public places the day before showing symptoms 2014 Event A total of 111 people have been identified as having had contact with an Ebola-infected 2-year-old girl before her death in Mali, raising concerns of a potential new epidemic; the girl was the first confirmed Ebola case in the nation 2014 Event U.S. President Barack Obama provides authorization for military reserves to be sent to West Africa if needed to help respond to the Ebola epidemic; the president also does not see the need to ban travelers from West Africa from entering the U.S. 2014 Event As the Ebola epidemic spreads, the World Health Organization (WHO) has requested Ebola vaccine doses from GlaxoSmithKline (Glaxo); the company offered the vaccine to WHO in March, but the offer was rejected because the vaccine had not been tested on humans 2014 Event Thomas Frieden, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cautions that the Ebola epidemic will soon be uncontrollable unless more workers are found to aid in treatment of victims and burial of contagious bodies 2014 Event Drug manufacturer Mapp Biopharmaceutical states that it has run out of its experimental Ebola treatment drug; the company has been shipping all available stock without charge to West Africa in an attempt to treat victims of the current epidemic 1995 Death Michael VerMeulen, writer, journalist, magazine editor, broke story on U.S. AIDS epidemic, published in Vanity Fair, Parade, GQ founding features editor, dies at 38 1956 Birthday Michael VerMeulen, born in Chicago, Illinois, writer, journalist, magazine editor, broke story on U.S. AIDS epidemic, published in Vanity Fair, Parade, GQ founding features editor 1919 Event Stanley Cup: Mont (NHL) and Seat (PCHA) win 2 games each with 1 tie, 1919 Stanley Cup not awarded due to flu epidemic 1894 Event 1st U.S. poliomyelitis epidemic breaks out, Rutland, Vermont 1878 Event Fever epidemic in New Orleans begin, it will kill 4,500 1345 Event Saturn/Jupiter/Mars-conjunction: thought "cause of plague epidemic"
