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Black Death
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Medieval illustration of Brotherhood of the Cross flagellants in robes and pointed hats walking in procession, some carrying a crucifix and banners, during the Black Death.
Know the investigations of researchers using genomic information to reconstruct the cause and transmission routes of the bubonic plague and the Black Death
Microscope image showing clusters of pink-stained Yersinia pestis bacteria, the organism that causes plague, against a pale background. Historical map of Europe showing the spread of the Black Death during the second pandemic from 1347 to 1351. The map uses color-coded regions to indicate the approximate year the plague first reached different areas, with arrows marking the spread along major marine and land routes, and major cities labeled. Areas relatively unaffected are shown in gray. Oriental rat flea An open medieval ledger book with handwritten Italian text on aged pages and a worn red leather cover, attributed to Pepo degli Albizzi of Florence. Black Death
What was the Black Death?
Medieval illustration of two flagellants, bare-chested and wearing skirts with yellow leggings, whipping themselves as part of a religious ritual during the Black Death in Europe. Black Death
At a Glance
An open medieval ledger book with handwritten Italian text on aged pages and a worn red leather cover, attributed to Pepo degli Albizzi of Florence.
Black Death Timeline
Black Death
Black Death Key Facts
Microscope image showing clusters of pink-stained Yersinia pestis bacteria, the organism that causes plague, against a pale background.
Black Death Causes and Effects
Quizzes
Warm water fuels Hurricane Katrina. This image depicts a 3-day average of actual dea surface temperatures for the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, from August 25-27, 2005.
Disasters of Historic Proportion
Vikings. Viking warriors hold swords and shields. 9th c. AD seafaring warriors raided the coasts of Europe, burning, plundering and killing. Marauders or pirates came from Scandinavia, now Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. European History
European History
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Black Death: References & Edit History

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: Clemson University Open Textbooks - Science Technology and Society a Student Led Exploration - The Black Death & the Unexpected Benefits to Society. Sep 25, 2026
Add new Web site: Nature - The source of the Black Death in fourteenth-century central Eurasia. Mar 02, 2026
Corrected display issues. Oct 20, 2025
Add new Web site: Heritage History - The Black Death and the Flagellants. Oct 11, 2025
Add new Web site: The American Journal of Medicine - History of the Plague: An Ancient Pandemic for the Age of COVID-19 (PDF). Aug 26, 2025
Add new Web site: Historic UK - The Black Death. Jul 11, 2025
Added a section on other deadly events. Jun 02, 2025
Changed the spelling of “anti-Semitism” to “antisemitism.” Mar 27, 2025
Questions and answers added. Jan 17, 2025
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - What caused the Black Death? Dec 19, 2024
Add new Web site: Gresham College - The Black Death. May 06, 2024
Add new Web site: Humanities LibreTexts - The Black Death. Sep 04, 2023
Add new Web site: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft - Origins of the Black Death identified. Jun 26, 2023
Add new Web site: Ancient Origins - Culling the World: The Catastrophic Conquests of the Black Death. May 14, 2023
Added cross-reference. Apr 11, 2023
Add new Web site: EH.net - The Economic Impact of the Black Death. Apr 02, 2023
Add new Web site: History Today - The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe Ever. Jan 02, 2023
Add new Web site: World History Encyclopedia - Black Death. Oct 18, 2022
Add new Web site: LiveScience - What Was the Black Death? Apr 05, 2022
Media added. Aug 27, 2021
Add new Web site: Ohio State University - Origins - The Black Death and its Aftermath. Nov 09, 2020
Corrected display issue. Apr 09, 2020
Add new Web site: BBC Bitesize - The Black Death. Dec 13, 2019
Add new Web site: BBC Bitesize - The Black Death. Dec 13, 2019
Media added. Aug 26, 2019
Add new Web site: The University of Iowa Libraries - The Black Death: The Plague, 1331-1770. Jan 17, 2019
Add new Web site: Middle Ages for Kids - Black Death. Jan 17, 2019
Corrected display issue. Sep 04, 2018
Add new Web site: Science Museum - Brought to Life - The Black Death and early public health measures. May 03, 2017
Added information about Jewish pogroms during the plague years. Jan 06, 2017
Add new Web site: National Human Genome Research Institute - Dissecting the Cause of the Black Death. Dec 07, 2016
Add new Web site: Khan Academy - The Black Death. Dec 07, 2016
Added information on the possible role of climate in multiple introductions of plague in Europe in the 14th century. Feb 24, 2015
Changed "the Crimea" to "Crimea." Apr 08, 2014
Add new Web site: The History Learning Site - The Black Death of 1348 to 1350. Oct 31, 2013
Media added. Jun 27, 2013
Add new Web site: Middle Ages for Kids - Black Death. Jan 18, 2013
Add new Web site: British Broadcasting Corporation - Black Death. Jan 18, 2013
Added information on modern genetic analyses that indicate that the strain of Yersinia pestis introduced during the Black Death is ancestral to all extant circulating Y. pestis strains known to cause disease in humans. Oct 12, 2011
Updated to include information on the possible causes of the Black Death. Mar 12, 2009
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - History - How the Black Death Worked. Nov 04, 2008
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - History - Black Death. Nov 04, 2008
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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