50+ years of HIV

Five decades since HIV hit the U.S., we’re closer than ever to ending AIDS.

As we now know, HIV didn’t arrive with the AIDS epidemic of the early 1980s, and we haven’t eliminated it yet. But the end of AIDS is in sight as treatment as prevention and PrEP dramatically slow the epidemic in many countries — and researchers close in on both a vaccine and a functional cure. In celebration of World AIDS Day, here are some of the most significant moments in the past five decades.