History of Virus in Timeline

A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that replicates within living cells of organisms, infecting all life forms. Found in almost every ecosystem, viruses are the most numerous biological entity. The first virus, tobacco mosaic virus, was discovered in the late 19th century, and since then over 16,000 of the millions of species have been described. Virology, a subspecialty of microbiology, is the study of viruses.

1918: The 1918 flu pandemic

In 1918, the flu pandemic started and lasted until 1919. It was a category 5 influenza pandemic caused by an unusually severe and deadly influenza A virus and killed 40–100 million people.

1918: Recreation of 1918 influenza virus

In 1918, the infamous 1918 influenza virus was successfully recreated in a laboratory, raising concerns about the potential weaponization of viruses for biological warfare.

1918: Influenza pandemic in 1918

In 1918, there was a severe influenza pandemic.

1919: The 1918 flu pandemic ended in 1919

The 1918 flu pandemic ended in 1919. It was a category 5 influenza pandemic caused by an unusually severe and deadly influenza A virus and killed 40–100 million people.

1926: Thomas Milton Rivers defined viruses as obligate parasites in 1926

In 1926, Thomas Milton Rivers defined viruses as obligate parasites, highlighting their dependency on host cells for replication.

1931: Invention of the electron microscope in 1931

The invention of the electron microscope in 1931 allowed scientists to visualize the complex structures of viruses for the first time.

1948: Adjective viral dates to 1948

In 1948, the adjective 'viral' came into use, expanding the vocabulary associated with viruses.

1957: Influenza pandemic in 1957

In 1957, there was a severe influenza pandemic.

1959: Term virion dates from 1959

In 1959, the term 'virion' was introduced to refer to a single viral particle released from a cell capable of infecting other cells of the same type.

1962: Development of a means of virus classification in 1962

In 1962, André Lwoff, Robert Horne, and Paul Tournier developed a means of virus classification, based on the Linnaean hierarchical system, using shared properties and the type of nucleic acid forming their genomes.

1966: Formation of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) in 1966

In 1966, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) was formed to standardize virus classification.

1967: Marburg virus first discovered in 1967

Marburg virus, a type of filovirus, was first discovered in 1967.

1968: Influenza pandemic in 1968

In 1968, there was a severe influenza pandemic.

1976: First identification of Ebola virus disease in 1976

Ebola virus disease was first identified in 1976, marking the beginning of intermittent outbreaks with high mortality rates.

June 1981: First recognition of AIDS in June 1981

On June 5, 1981, AIDS was first recognized, marking the beginning of one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history.

1988: Thousands of harbour seals killed in Europe in 1988

In 1988, thousands of harbour seals were killed in Europe by phocine distemper virus.

2001: Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Britain in 2001

In 2001, thousands of cattle were slaughtered in Britain to control the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

2002: Creation of the first synthetic virus in 2002

In 2002, the first synthetic virus was created, marking a significant advancement in virology.

2002: Thousands of harbour seals killed in Europe in 2002

In 2002, thousands of harbour seals were killed in Europe by phocine distemper virus.

July 2003: SARS infections by July 2003

By July 2003, SARS infections had caused around 8,000 cases and 800 deaths, catching most countries unprepared.

April 2005: Marburg virus outbreak in Angola in April 2005

In April 2005, an outbreak of Marburg virus in Angola attracted widespread press attention.

2007: New HIV infections and HIV-related deaths in 2007

In 2007, there were 2.7 million new HIV infections and 2 million HIV-related deaths worldwide.

2011: Discovery of Megavirus chilensis in 2011

In 2011, researchers discovered Megavirus chilensis, the largest virus known at the time, in ocean floor samples off the coast of Las Cruces, Chile; it was so large it could be seen with a basic optical microscope.

2013: Discovery of Pandoravirus genus in 2013

In 2013, the Pandoravirus genus was discovered in Chile and Australia, featuring genomes approximately twice the size of Megavirus and Mimivirus.

2013: West Africa Ebola epidemic started in 2013

The West Africa Ebola epidemic started in 2013 and lasted until 2016.

2015: Approval of Talimogene laherparepvec in late 2015

In late 2015, Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), a genetically modified herpes simplex virus, gained approval for the treatment of melanoma.

2016: West Africa Ebola epidemic ended in 2016

The West Africa Ebola epidemic ended in 2016, with devastating consequences.

January 2018: Deposition of viruses from the Earth's atmosphere in January 2018

In January 2018, scientists reported that 800 million viruses, mainly of marine origin, are deposited daily from the Earth's atmosphere onto every square meter of the planet's surface.

2018: Deaths from AIDS in 2018

In 2018, there were approximately 770,000 deaths from AIDS globally.

2018: ICTV acknowledges deeper evolutionary relationships between viruses in 2018

Starting in 2018, the ICTV began to acknowledge deeper evolutionary relationships between viruses and adopted a 15-rank classification system.

November 2019: Emergence of SARS-Cov-2 in Wuhan, China in November 2019

In November 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) emerged in Wuhan, China, believed to have originated in bats.

2020: Start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic started, caused by SARS-Cov-2. This led to unprecedented restrictions and curfews worldwide.

January 2021: NCBI Virus genome database

As of January 2021, the NCBI Virus genome database contained more than 193,000 complete genome sequences.

June 2021: Genome sequences of viruses available online in June 2021

As of June 2021, the full-length genome sequences of 11,464 different viruses, including smallpox, were publicly available in an online database maintained by the National Institutes of Health.

December 2022: First observation of virovory in December 2022

In December 2022, scientists reported the first observation of virovory via an experiment on pond water containing chlorovirus, showing that the ciliate Halteria consumed chlorovirus as a food source.

2022: Taxon ranges status in 2022

As of 2022, the ranks of subrealm, subkingdom, and subclass are unused in virus taxonomy.

2024: ICTV virus classification status in 2024

As of 2024, the ICTV has defined 7 realms, 11 kingdoms, 22 phyla, 4 subphyla, 49 classes, 93 orders, 12 suborders, 368 families, 213 subfamilies, 3,769 genera, 86 subgenera, and 16,215 species of viruses.