1984: U.S. AIDS cases surpass 7,000—and Ronald Reagan is re-elected in a campaign during which neither candidate utters the word AIDS.

1987: The American Medical Association announces that doctors are ethically obligated to treat people with AIDS, despite some physicians’ refusal.

1991: Basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson tells America he has HIV; the New York Knicks’ coach orders a pre-game moment of silence followed by the Lord’s Prayer.

1999: Researchers find that HIV keeps replicating even when undetectable in blood—further dashing some scientists’ hope for “eradication” of HIV with HAART.