Uploaded September 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
The recent COVID-19 Pandemic seems to have us all on the ropes. But as deadly as it may be, it doesn’t hold a candle to some of the world’s major Pandemics that have come before it. Today we will be looking at some of the deadliest pandemics that will make the Corona-Virus Disease of 2019 feel like a common cold!
So, what is a pandemic? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease. In other words, a Pandemic affects a significant portion of the population and spreads across a considerable geographic range. With this in mind, let’s dive into some of the world’s deadliest pandemics throughout history.
The first of these Pandemics was called the Antonine plague, also known as the Antonine pest or the Galenian plague. It affected the Roman Empire in the second century AD taking place at the end of the reign of the Antonine Dynasty. Although the exact origin of this plague is unknown, it most likely emerged in China shortly before 166 CE spreading westward along the Silk Road by trading ships headed for Rome. Sometime during this period, the Roman military also came into contact with the disease during the siege of Seleucia, a major city on the Tigris River.
The Plague of Justinian or Justinianic Plague was a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The disease afflicted the entire Mediterranean Basin, Europe, and the Near East. It severely affected the Sasanian Empire and the Roman Empire especially its capital, Constantinople. It is named after the Roman emperor in Constantinople, Justinian I. Based upon DNA analysis of bones found in graves, the plague that struck the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Justinian I was bubonic, although it was very probable that the other two types of plague, pneumonic and septicemic, were also present.
The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was the deadliest global pandemic that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. The plague most likely originated in Central Asia or East Asia, from where it traveled along the Silk Road, reaching Crimea by 1347. From there, it was most likely carried by fleas living on the black rats that traveled on Genoese merchant ships. It spread throughout the Mediterranean Basin along with Africa, Western Asia, and the rest of Europe via Constantinople, Sicily, and the Italian Peninsula.
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The origin of smallpox is unknown. However, it is thought to date back to the Egyptian Empire around the 3rd century BCE, based on a smallpox-like rash found on three mummies. The earliest written description of a disease that resembles smallpox appeared in China in the 4th century CE.
The Spanish Flu was first observed in Europe, the United States, and parts of Asia before swiftly spreading around the world. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is no universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide from 1918-1919.
HIV or Human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that spreads from person to person through body fluids. The virus attacks your body’s natural defense system weakening the immune system. People are most often infected with HIV through sexual intercourse or shared intranasal or injectable drug use. HIV can also be passed from a mother to a child during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If left untreated, HIV weakens the person’s immune system to the point that it can no longer fight off serious infections. The risk of certain types of cancer can also increase. When a person becomes sick with these infections or these types of cancer, they are said to have “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” more commonly known as AIDS.
The recent COVID-19 Pandemic seems to have us all on the ropes. But as deadly as it may be, it doesn’t hold a candle to some of the world’s major Pandemics that have come before it. Today we will be looking at some of the deadliest pandemics that will make the Corona-Virus Disease of 2019 feel like a common cold!
So, what is a pandemic? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease. In other words, a Pandemic affects a significant portion of the population and spreads across a considerable geographic range. With this in mind, let’s dive into some of the world’s deadliest pandemics throughout history.
The first of these Pandemics was called the Antonine plague, also known as the Antonine pest or the Galenian plague. It affected the Roman Empire in the second century AD taking place at the end of the reign of the Antonine Dynasty. Although the exact origin of this plague is unknown, it most likely emerged in China shortly before 166 CE spreading westward along the Silk Road by trading ships headed for Rome. Sometime during this period, the Roman military also came into contact with the disease during the siege of Seleucia, a major city on the Tigris River.
The Plague of Justinian or Justinianic Plague was a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The disease afflicted the entire Mediterranean Basin, Europe, and the Near East. It severely affected the Sasanian Empire and the Roman Empire especially its capital, Constantinople. It is named after the Roman emperor in Constantinople, Justinian I. Based upon DNA analysis of bones found in graves, the plague that struck the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Justinian I was bubonic, although it was very probable that the other two types of plague, pneumonic and septicemic, were also present.
The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was the deadliest global pandemic that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. The plague most likely originated in Central Asia or East Asia, from where it traveled along the Silk Road, reaching Crimea by 1347. From there, it was most likely carried by fleas living on the black rats that traveled on Genoese merchant ships. It spread throughout the Mediterranean Basin along with Africa, Western Asia, and the rest of Europe via Constantinople, Sicily, and the Italian Peninsula.
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The origin of smallpox is unknown. However, it is thought to date back to the Egyptian Empire around the 3rd century BCE, based on a smallpox-like rash found on three mummies. The earliest written description of a disease that resembles smallpox appeared in China in the 4th century CE.
The Spanish Flu was first observed in Europe, the United States, and parts of Asia before swiftly spreading around the world. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is no universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide from 1918-1919.
HIV or Human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that spreads from person to person through body fluids. The virus attacks your body’s natural defense system weakening the immune system. People are most often infected with HIV through sexual intercourse or shared intranasal or injectable drug use. HIV can also be passed from a mother to a child during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If left untreated, HIV weakens the person’s immune system to the point that it can no longer fight off serious infections. The risk of certain types of cancer can also increase. When a person becomes sick with these infections or these types of cancer, they are said to have “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” more commonly known as AIDS.
