THE DEADLIEST PANDEMICS IN HISTORY
Global Pandemics by Death Toll
Worldwide Smallpox Epidemic 1877 - 1977** 500,000,000 Spanish Flu 1918 - 1919 50,000,000 Plague of Justinian 483 - 565 30,000,000 - 50,000,000 HIV/AIDS 1981 - Present 32,000,000+ so far Bubonic Plague/Black Death 1347 - 1351 25,000,000 Cocoliztli 1545 - 1547 5,000,000 - 15,000,000 Mexico Smallpox Epidemic *The Great Plagues consisted of 1519 - 1520** 5,000,000 - 8,000,000 around 40 resurgences of the bubonic plague, primarily in London. Antonine Plague 5,000,000 165 - 180 Quarantine was Cholera 3,798,000 - 4,798,000 invented during the 1817 - 1975*** Black Plague. Sailors The Great Plagues 3,000,000 would not leave their 1348 - 1665* ships for 40 days to avoid Smallpox Russia Typhus Epidemic spreading the illness; the 1918 - 1922 2,500,000 **Smallpox is most often associated with word comes from the the 16th century, when it decimated the Japanese Smallpox Epidemic 2,000,000 Italian word for 40, native population of Mexico. However, it 735 - 737** “quaranta.” resulted in the most casualties during the COVID-19 last 100 years of its existence. Between 2019 - Present 1,080,000+ as of 10/14/2020 1877 and 1977, smallpox was responsible for the deaths of an estimated Hong Kong Flu 500,000,000 people. 1968 - 1970 1,000,000 Europe Smallpox Epidemic 1870 - 1875** 500,000 Japanese Smallpox Epidemic 735 - 737 Swine Flu 2,000,000 2009 - 2010 151,700 - 575,400 5,000,000 Yellow Fever Mexico Smallpox Epidemic 1800 - 1802 100,000 - 150,000 1519 - 1520 5,000,000 - 8,000,000
Chile Smallpox Epidemic 1561 - 1562 Unknown
A Timeline of the Massachusetts Smallpox Epidemic 200 1633 - 1634 Deadliest Pandemics 1,000
in History 30,000,000 - Boston Smallpox Epidemic 50,000,000 1677 - 1678 1,000 Antonine 165 - 180 Plague 300 St. Lawrence Valley Smallpox Epidemic 1702 - 1703 Plague 483 - 565 of Justinian 1,300
Iceland Smallpox Epidemic 1707 - 1709 18,000+ 400 Japanese 1721 Boston Smallpox Outbreak Smallpox 735 - 737** 2,000,000 1721 - 1722 Epidemic 844
New France Smallpox Epidemic 1733 500 Unknown
North Carolina Smallpox Epidemic Bubonic 1738 - 1739 Plague / 1347 - 1351 25,000,000 7,700 - 11,700 Black Death Charleston Smallpox Epidemic 600 1760 730 - 940
Pittsburgh Area Smallpox Outbreak 1763 Unknown The Great 1348 - 1665* Plagues 700 3,000,000 North American Smallpox Epidemic 1775 - 1782 11,000+
Pueblo Indians Smallpox Epidemic 1788 Mexico 5,000,000 - Unknown Smallpox 1519 - 1520** 800 8,000,000 Epidemic First New South Wales Smallpox Epidemic 1789 - 1790 Unknown
Second New South Wales Smallpox Epidemic 1828 - 1829 900 19,000 5,000,000 - Plains Indians Smallpox Epidemic Cocoliztli 1545 - 1547 15,000,000 1831 - 1834 Unknown
Great Plains Smallpox Epidemic 1000 1837 - 1838 17,000+ Yellow Fever 1800 - 1802 100,000 - 150,000 South Africa Smallpox Epidemic 1840 Unknown 3,798,000 - Cholera 1817 - 1975*** Victoria Smallpox Epidemic 1100 4,798,000 1857 Unknown Europe Smallpox 1870 - 1875** 500,000 British Columbia Smallpox Epidemic Epidemic 1862 - 1863 32,000
1200 Europe Smallpox Epidemic Worldwide Smallpox 1877 - 1977** 500,000,000 1870 - 1875 Epidemic 500,000 Worldwide Smallpox Epidemic 1877 - 1977 500,000,000 1300
The bacteria Yersinia pestis was responsible for: 1400 The Plague of Justinian Spanish Flu 1918 - 1919 50,000,000 The Bubonic Plague
The Great Plagues
1500
Cholera
***Like smallpox and the Bubonic Plague, cholera also struck in waves. Russia 1600 There were seven major pandemics Typhus 1918 - 1922 2,500,000 between 1817 and 1975. Epidemic
First Pandemic Hong Kong 1968 - 1970 1,000,000 Flu 1817 - 1824 1,000,000 - 2,000,000 1700 Second Pandemic 1829 - 1837 100,000
Third Pandemic 1846 - 1860 HIV/AIDS 1981 - Present 1800 32,000,000+ 1,000,000+ so far Fourth Pandemic 1863 - 1875 600,000+
Fifth Pandemic 1900 1881 - 1896 298,600
151,700 - Sixth Pandemic Swine Flu 2009 - 2010 1899 - 1923 575,400 800,000+
2000 Seventh Pandemic COVID-19 2019 - Present 1,080,000+ 1961 - 1975 as of 10/14/2020 Unknown
Resources: www.history.com/news/pandemics-end-plague-cholera-black-death-smallpox www.businessinsider.com/pandemics-that-changed-the-course-of-human-history-coronavirus-flu-aids-plague#smallpox-15th-17th-centuries-3 www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4381924.stm www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_epidemics www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:COVID-19_pandemic_data