The Black Death
1346–1353 · 75,000,000–200,000,000 dead
The deadliest pandemic in recorded history. Arriving from Central Asia via the Crimea, it swept the Mediterranean, Europe and the Middle East, killing an estimated 30–60% of Europe's population.
- 1346 Caffa, CrimeaSiege of Caffa — plague reportedly spread to Genoese traders
- 1347 ConstantinopleMajor trade hub hit early~40%
- 1347 Messina, SicilyGenoese galleys bring plague to Europe, Oct 1347
- 1347 Alexandria & CairoCairo lost a large share of its population~40%
- 1348 MarseilleEntry point into France~50%
- 1348 FlorenceDescribed by Boccaccio in the Decameron~60%
- 1348 VeniceIntroduced the first quarantine measures~60%
- 1348 Paris~50%
- 1348 Iberia~60%
- 1348 LondonMass graves at East Smithfield~50%
- 1349 Germany & Low CountriesFlagellant movements and pogroms~40%
- 1349 Norway & ScandinaviaArrived by ship at Bergen~50%
- 1352 Russia (Novgorod, Moscow)Reached Russia last, 1351–1353~40%
Mortality figures are historians' estimates and vary widely between studies.
Worst outbreaks of all time
The Black Death
1346–1353Yersinia pestis (plague) — The deadliest pandemic in recorded history. Arriving from Central Asia via the Crimea, it swept the Mediterranean, Europe and the Middle East, killing an estimated 30–60% of Europe's population.
Spanish Flu
1918–1920Influenza A/H1N1 — Infected about a third of the world's population in the aftermath of World War I.
Plague of Justinian
541–549Yersinia pestis — First recorded plague pandemic, striking the Byzantine Empire and Mediterranean.
HIV/AIDS Pandemic
1981–presentHIV — Ongoing; tens of millions dead since first identified.
Smallpox (20th century)
1900–1977Variola virus — Killed hundreds of millions in the 20th century alone before eradication in 1980.
COVID-19 Pandemic
2019–2023SARS-CoV-2 — Reported deaths ~7 million; excess-death estimates far higher.