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What have been some of the world’s deadliest pandemics?

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Throughout history, there have been many deadly pandemics, but the Black Death and the influenza pandemic of 1918–19 rank among the most lethal. The Black Death, which ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351 and likely was caused by plague, killed roughly 25 million people. The influenza pandemic of 1918–19, or “Spanish flu,” claimed an estimated 20–40 million lives. A COVID-19 outbreak that was declared a pandemic in 2020 also killed millions of people.