Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
WHY did some people survive the BLACK DEATH when others did not and how is arguably the most famous plague in history still affecting us today? In this video from History Calling, we’re going to look at this medieval disaster, which swept through Europe and parts of Asia in the 14th century and hear how new research shows how one of the long-term effects of the Black Death has affected our DNA so that it is still protecting and harming us, even now.
I’ll start with a history of the Black Death, which was caused by the yersinia pestis bacterium and spread to humans by a mixture of rats and fleas. We’ll then look at how the Black Death was spread, the symptoms of the Black Death, famous victims of the Black Death and how many people died from the Black Death, for its mortality rate was so high that it is considered by many to be the most deadly plague in history. We’ll also learn why was it called the Black Death and spoiler alert, it has nothing to do with the symptoms of the disease. After this overview we’ll look at research released in 2022 and based on a scientific study of hundreds of skeletons of victims of the Black Death from England and Denmark which shows that those with a particular trait in their DNA were 40% more likely to survive it (and pass on their stronger genes to later generations). This would make the pestilence one of the most important natural selection events in human history, but that this genetic quirk also makes modern possessors of it more likely to succumb to certain auto-immune diseases.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
EYAM: WHEN THE PLAGUE CAME TO TOWN IN 1665
youtu.be/qTmAqbo4wVw
THE DANCING PLAGUE
youtu.be/nWImzWylwCw
THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF BENJAMIN BATHURST
youtu.be/1sHq8c81NPY
THE MYSTERY OF SKELETON LAKE
youtu.be/FYI8eRhI1Bk
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
LEARN MORE:
The source of the Black Death in fourteenth-century central Eurasia
nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04800-3
Ole J. Benedictow, The Black Death 1346-1353: The Complete History (2006), available at amzn.to/3oTLrTJ
[FREE] Ole J. Benedictow, The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe Ever
historytoday.com/archive/black-death-greatest-catastrophe-ever
[FREE] Evolution of immune genes is associated with the Black Death
nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05349-x
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
THUMBNAIL: Image from Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
WHY did some people survive the BLACK DEATH when others did not and how is arguably the most famous plague in history still affecting us today? In this video from History Calling, we’re going to look at this medieval disaster, which swept through Europe and parts of Asia in the 14th century and hear how new research shows how one of the long-term effects of the Black Death has affected our DNA so that it is still protecting and harming us, even now.
I’ll start with a history of the Black Death, which was caused by the yersinia pestis bacterium and spread to humans by a mixture of rats and fleas. We’ll then look at how the Black Death was spread, the symptoms of the Black Death, famous victims of the Black Death and how many people died from the Black Death, for its mortality rate was so high that it is considered by many to be the most deadly plague in history. We’ll also learn why was it called the Black Death and spoiler alert, it has nothing to do with the symptoms of the disease. After this overview we’ll look at research released in 2022 and based on a scientific study of hundreds of skeletons of victims of the Black Death from England and Denmark which shows that those with a particular trait in their DNA were 40% more likely to survive it (and pass on their stronger genes to later generations). This would make the pestilence one of the most important natural selection events in human history, but that this genetic quirk also makes modern possessors of it more likely to succumb to certain auto-immune diseases.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
EYAM: WHEN THE PLAGUE CAME TO TOWN IN 1665
youtu.be/qTmAqbo4wVw
THE DANCING PLAGUE
youtu.be/nWImzWylwCw
THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF BENJAMIN BATHURST
youtu.be/1sHq8c81NPY
THE MYSTERY OF SKELETON LAKE
youtu.be/FYI8eRhI1Bk
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
LEARN MORE:
The source of the Black Death in fourteenth-century central Eurasia
nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04800-3
Ole J. Benedictow, The Black Death 1346-1353: The Complete History (2006), available at amzn.to/3oTLrTJ
[FREE] Ole J. Benedictow, The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe Ever
historytoday.com/archive/black-death-greatest-catastrophe-ever
[FREE] Evolution of immune genes is associated with the Black Death
nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05349-x
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
THUMBNAIL: Image from Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
