Today in History: The eradication of the smallpox virus is certified

The following are some of the major notable events that occurred on December 9 throughout history:

536 – Gothic War: The Byzantine general Belisarius enters Rome unopposed; the Gothic garrison flees the capital.

1531 – The Virgin of Guadalupe first appears to Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico City.

1824 – Patriot forces led by General Antonio José de Sucre defeat a Royalist army in the Battle of Ayacucho, putting an end to the Peruvian War of Independence.

1851 – The first YMCA in North America is established in Montreal.

1905 – In France, a law separating church and state is passed.

1946 – The subsequent Nuremberg trials begin with the Doctors’ Trial, prosecuting physicians and officers alleged to be involved in Nazi human experimentation and mass murder under the guise of euthanasia.

1979 – The eradication of the smallpox virus is certified, making smallpox the first of only two diseases that have been driven to extinction (with rinderpest in 2011 being the other).

1987 – Israeli–Palestinian conflict: The First Intifada begins in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

1996 – Gwen Jacob is acquitted of committing an indecent act, giving women the right to be topless in Ontario, Canada.

2017 – The Marriage Amendment Bill receives royal assent and comes into effect, making Australia the 26th country to legalize same-sex marriage.