Pandemic Facts: 25 Frightening Facts About Pandemics From History

During the first outbreak of the Black Death in France in 1348, cities ran out of consecrated ground to bury the dead in so quickly that Pope, Clement VI, had to bless the entire Rhone river to allow corpses to be legally dumped in it.

The 1968 Pandemic caused by the H3N2 virus and commonly referred to as the Hong Kong Flu Virus, was an extremely contagious virus with a low fatality rate that originated in China and was widespread in the United States about five months later. It struck in two waves, with the second being more deadly.

The Third Plague Pandemic was an outbreak of bubonic plague that killed 15 million people between 1855-1960. In Hong Kong, where the bacterium responsible was identified as yersinia pestis, the plague recurred every year for 30 years.

The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 is known as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history, in that it killed more people in 1 year than during the 4 years of the Black Plague. It was most deadly for people aged 20-40 and many died within hours of contracting the virus.

The 1968 Hong Kong Flu left more than one million dead worldwide, and doctors recommended those ill to stay at home and take aspirin, tea, lemon drinks, whiskey or brandy according to taste.

During the terrifying cholera epidemic of 1835- 1836, the island of Sardinia was the only Italian region to escape cholera, thanks to surveillance by armed men who had orders to prevent, by force, any ship that attempted to disembark persons or cargo on the coast.

The 1925 diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska probably affected at least 100 natives because the natives would bury their children without reporting the deaths.

During the first SARS epidemic of 2002, to help revive its economy Toronto hosted a concert called SARSstock which was attended by 500,000 people and headlined by The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Justin Timberlake, Rush, and others. It is the largest outdoor ticketed event in Canadian history.

During the 1813-1814 Malta plague epidemic, concealing infection and moving between districts were made capital offenses.

During the Revolutionary war, the smallpox epidemic threatened the troops of George Washington very badly but he forbade inoculating troops fearing that doing so would make too many sick and leave the army without sufficient strength. Washington himself had been exposed when young making him immune.