AIDS is one of the most frightening diseases in the world. With no cure and the virtual guarantee of an early death, being told that one has HIV or AIDS is one of the most frightening things that a person can hear. The disease was first recognized by the Center for Disease Control in 1981 - however, at first, it was not called AIDS. So, off of Pocket Trivia: US History - When the AIDS epidemic first hit the United States, what was its original acronym? Was it GIVE, GIDP, GRID or HIPA?