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430 BCE
THE PLAGUE OF ATHENS
The earliest recorded pandemic happened during the Peloponnesian War. After the disease passed through Libya, Ethiopia and Egypt, it crossed the Athenian walls as the Spartans laid siege. As much as two-thirds of the population died.
The symptoms included fever, thirst, bloody throat and tongue, red skin and lesions. The disease, suspected to have been typhoid fever, weakened the Athenians significantly and was a significant factor in their defeat by the Spartans. -
Period: 165 to 180
ANTONINE PLAGUE
Also known as the Plague of Galen, the Antonine Plague was an ancient pandemic that affected Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece, and Italy and is thought to have been either Smallpox or Measles, though the true cause is still unknown. This unknown disease was brought back to Rome by soldiers returning from Mesopotamia around 165AD; unknowingly, they had spread a disease which would end up killing over 5 million people and decimating the Roman army. -
Period: 541 to 542
PLAGUE OF JUSTINIAN
It started in the Byzantine Empire, it is known as the Bubonic plague, it was transmited by rats through fleas. Because of this plague between 25-50 million people died. -
Period: 1347 to 1351
BLACK DEATH
Ships returned to the shores of Sicily filled with sailiors stricken by a mysterious illnes, that formed dark swellings or buboes in the armpits and groin. The Venetians banned sailiors from enterinf to their cities for 40 days, which now is know as quarentine. More then 200 million people died. -
Period: 1520 to 1520
SMALLPLOX
Arrived in Mexico when Spanish forces landed in what is now Veracruz. It began to spread when Spanish troops entered the capital of the Aztec Empire (Tenochtitlán).
Because of this tehre were between 50,000 to 300,000 deaths -
Period: to
THIRD CHOLERA PANDEMIC
Generally considered the most deadly of the seven cholera pandemics, the third major outbreak of Cholera in the 19th century lasted from 1852 to 1860. Like the first and second pandemics, the Third Cholera Pandemic originated in India, spreading from the Ganges River Delta before tearing through Asia, Europe, North America and Africa and ending the lives of over a million people. -
Period: to
THE THIRD PLAGUE PANDEMIC
Starting in China and moving to India and Hong Kong, the bubonic plague claimed 15 million victims. Initially spread by fleas during a mining boom in Yunnan, the plague is considered a factor in the Parthay rebellion and the Taiping rebellion. India faced the most substantial casualties, and the epidemic was used as an excuse for repressive policies that sparked some revolt against the British. The pandemic was considered active until 1960 when cases dropped below a couple hundred. -
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RUSSIAN FLU
The first significant flu pandemic started in Siberia and Kazakhstan, traveled to Moscow, and made its way into Finland and then Poland, where it moved into the rest of Europe. By the following year, it had crossed the ocean into North America and Africa. By the end of 1890; 360,000 had died. -
Period: to
SPANISH FLU
The most recent mass pandemic, an infected 500 million worldwide. Spamish Flu impacted young adult the hardest half of those that died, were between 20-40 years. At the end the plague claim the life of 50-100 million people. -
Period: to
ASSIAN FLU
Starting in Hong Kong and spreading throughout China and then into the United States, the Asian flu became widespread in England where, over six months, 14,000 people died. A second wave followed in early 1958, causing an estimated total of about 1.1 million deaths globally, with 116,000 deaths in the United States alone. A vaccine was developed, effectively containing the pandemic. -
Period: to
HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC
HIV/AIDS has truly proven itself as a global pandemic, killing more than 36 million people since 1981. Currently there are between 31 and 35 million people living with HIV, the vast majority of those are in Sub-Saharan Africa. As awareness has grown, new treatments have been developed that make HIV far more manageable, and many of those infected go on to lead productive lives. Between 2005-2012 the annual global deaths dropped from 2.2million to 1.6 million. -
Period: to
SWINE FLU
The novel influenza virus was first detected in the United States, spreading quickly to the rest of the world. The virus was different from other H1N1 viruses circulating, as few young people had existing immunity, while many people over 60 years of age had antibodies. It is estimated that 80 percent of deaths occurred among patients under 65 years of age. There were between 151,700 and 575,400 deaths worldwide