A Million is a Statistic Trivia Quiz

Plague of Galen, c. 165-180 CE

The Plague of Galen or Antonine Plague struck the Roman Empire during the latter part of the Pax Romana in the reign of Marcus Aurelius. The plague was most likely smallpox although it may have been measles. It certainly had an economic impact and a general decline in the empire's population by as many as 10,000,000 out of about 75,000,0000. Contemporary sources described the plague as "great" and of long duration.

Plague of Justinian, c. 541-549 CE

The Plague of Justinian impacted the Mediterranean basin including the Byzantine Empire and the Near East. The culprit was "Yestina pestis", the same disease that would periodically reappear as the plague. It was best recognized for the buboes that appeared on the skin. The disease impacted the countryside where a declining number of farmers found it hard to collect the harvest. The plague was a particularly deadly event that could have been responsible for up to 100,000,000 deaths.

Japanese Smallpox Plague, c. 735-737 CE

This represented the most severe of several bouts of smallpox that hit the Japanese islands during the first millennium CE. Though the number of deaths was around 2,000,000, this was about 1/3 of the population of Japan at this time. A decline in the rural population would lead to a decrease of crops gathered. Eventually the Japanese government would issue a blanket exemption of taxes. Japanese Emperor Shōgun, feeling responsible for the plague, greatly increased official support for Buddhism.

Black Death, c. 1346-1351

Like the Plague of Galen, the Black Death represented an outbreak of the bubonic plague. In addition to Europe, both large portions of Africa and Western Asia were affected. The estimated 50,000,000 deaths may have represented half of fourteenth century Europe. Contemporary sources were more likely to describe the disease as the "great death" than as the "Black Death". The large number of deaths sometimes led to mass burials. In some parts of Europe, the population would not rebound for hundreds of years.

Persian Plague, c. 1772-1773 CE

This was another breakout of bubonic plague. This time it was centered in the Persian Gulf region and led to about 2,000,000 deaths. It would lead to some of the first uses of quarantine measures in the Persian Gulf region. The plague would eventually spread as far as India.

Cholera Pandemic, 1846-1860 CE

This bout of cholera originated in India and before it was done spread to Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America. A pioneering British physician, John Snow, identified water as a source of transmission of the disease. He convinced officials in London to remove the handle from the pump in an infection-concentrated area. The rate of infection significantly dropped. After this, health officials began to emphasize the importance of sanitation in preserving health. There were roughly 1,000,000 casualties from the pandemic.

Spanish Influenza Pandemic, c. 1918-1920 CE

This pandemic began in the final year of World War I. This led to its well-known nickname as Spain, as a neutral nation, did not have the war censorship of many of the other nations. This pandemic proved particularly dangerous for young adults. It is hard to gather exact numbers but there may have been up to 100,000,000 casualties. Wearing of face masks was particularly common. There were also early examples of social distancing.

Hong Kong flu, c. 1968 -1970 CE

The first recorded case of this pandemic was actually recorded in Hong Kong. From there it spread to many other parts of the world. There are varying estimates of the casualties-up to 4,000,000 casualties. Strains of the virus were noticeably different from previous bouts of influenza. The disease entered the United States largely as a result of troops returning home from Vietnam. In some nations, there was a temporary glut of corpses leading to temporary workers being called upon to dispose of the corpses.

HIV/AIDS Pandemic, beginning c. 1981 CE

The first reported case of HIV/AIDS dates to 1981. While it is a worldwide pandemic, sub-Saharan Africa was a particularly hard hit region. Workers in the sex industry were also disproportionately affected. Over the years, a variety of drugs and other treatments were developed that extended the lives of those with HIV/AIDS. By 2023, casualties exceeded 40,000,000.

COVID-19 Pandemic, beginning c. 2019 CE

The first cases of COVID-19/appeared in late 2019. It was transmitted through airborne particles. Much of the world underwent a quarantine. In part because of this, there was a worldwide recession at about the same time. The infection was particularly dangerous to the elderly. Vaccines began to be developed in late 2020 although cases continued to appear. Fatalities are ongoing with them numbering in excess of 7,000,000 by mid-2025.