1 January 1934: Discovery of mumps virus by Claud Johnson and Ernest Goodpasture

1 January 1942: Publication of George Hirst's paper on the haemagglutination assay

1 January 1967: Start of WHO intensified eradication campaign for smallpox (vaccination kit pictured)

3 January 1938: Foundation of March of Dimes, to raise money for polio

6 January 2011: Andrew Wakefield's paper linking the MMR vaccine with autism described as "fraudulent" by the BMJ

25 January 1988: Foundation of the International AIDS Society

29 January 1981: Influenza haemagglutinin structure published by Ian Wilson, John Skehel and Don Wiley, the first viral membrane protein whose structure was solved