Scientists discover what later researchers believe to be the earliest form of AIDS.
Gay men in the United States and Sweden—along with heterosexuals in Tanzania and Haiti—start to show signs of what will later be identified as AIDS. 234 recorded US deaths from what will become known as AIDS. The term AIDS, for “acquired immune deficiency syndrome,” is used for the first time. The CDC establishes the National AIDS Hotline to provide the public with HIV/AIDS resources and information. 2,304 recorded deaths from AIDS in the United States. The FDA approves the first HIV antibody test that screens for HIV. The first International Conference on AIDS is held in Atlanta. Popular film star Rock Hudson dies of AIDS. The retrovirus first identified by Luc Montagnier of France, who named it LAV (lymphadenopathy associated virus) and Robert Gallo of the United States, who named it HTLV-III (human T-lymphotropic virus type III) is termed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses. 16,301 recorded deaths from AIDS in the United States.Attorney Geoffrey Bowers fired from the Philadelphia-based firm of Baker & McKenzie after lesions from Kaposi's sarcoma, a skin cancer common in people with AIDS, appeared on his face. He sues the firm in one of the first AIDS discrimination cases to go to a public hearing and his family won a landmark settlement. His case later inspires the film Philadelphia starring actor Tom Hanks.
Azidothymidine, known as AZT, becomes the first anti-HIV drug approved by the FDA. The United States prohibits HIV-infected immigrants and travelers from entering the country. A family with three HIV-positive sons who are hemophiliacs are driven from their home in Florida by arson. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is started in San Francisco.
PHMC becomes one of the first organizations in Philadelphia involved in HIV/AIDS research, receiving a HIV/AIDS research demonstration grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
December 1, 1988 marks the first celebration of World AIDS Day.
Ryan White, hemophiliac and AIDS activist, dies of the virus at age 18. After his death, Congress enacts the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, a federally funded program that provides care to people living with HIV/AIDS.PHMC researchers publish “AIDS Prevention for IV Drug Users and Their Sexual Partners in Philadelphia” in American Journal of Public Health.
Professional basketball player Magic Johnson announces that he has HIV. 20,454 recorded deaths from AIDS in the United States.
32,330 recorded deaths from AIDS in the United States.
On July 1, 1998, PHMC began administering the Direct Emergency Financial Assistance Program (DEFA), an initiative created through the collaborative efforts of the City of Philadelphia’s AIDS Activities Coordinating Office and the Office of Housing and Community Development, with funding from the Ryan White CARE Act Titles I and II and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS.
The DEFA program works exclusively with HIV/AIDS patients and helps recipients with housing, including mortgage, rent and essential utilities, as well as with medical treatment and equipment related to HIV/AIDS. Today, DEFA works with an average of 500 clients each year.
PHMC launches an HIV/AIDS prevention program to help people reduce risk through substance abuse recovery. 18,491 recorded deaths from AIDS in the United States.
The HIV/AIDS Care Clinic, formerly managed by St. Joseph's Hospital, joins Public Health Management Corporation and takes the name PHMC Care Clinic. 16,000 recorded deaths from AIDS in the United States.
Lisa Bond, PhD, senior researcher at PHMC, publishes "Black Men Who Have Sex with Men and the Association of Down-Low Identity with HIV Risk Behavior" in American Journal of Public Health. The study surveys more than 1,100 men who have sex with men and questions stereotypes about men of color and their risk of spreading HIV/AIDS. President Obama removes the travel ban that prevents HIV-positive people from entering the US.
Greater Than AIDS, a national movement and coalition of public and private sector partners, responds to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States with a national, multi-platform media campaign to elevate the public’s knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS and confront the stigma surrounding the disease. Although national in scope, the effort is targeted to Black Americans and other communities heavily affected by HIV/AIDS. Nearly 6,000 Greater Than AIDS billboards, bus ads and other outdoor advertising appear in 31 major markets, including Philadelphia. 
