When did the Black Death pandemic occur in Europe?
The Black Death pandemic occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. This catastrophic event killed as many as 50% of Europe's 14th-century population.
Common questions about Black Death
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What caused the Black Death and how did it spread to Europe?
The Black Death was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and spread through fleas and the air. The disease was first introduced to Europe during the siege of the Genoese trading port of Kaffa in Crimea by the Golden Horde army of Jani Beg in 1347.
What were the symptoms and mortality rates of the Black Death?
Symptoms of the Black Death included fever of 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, headaches, painful aching joints, nausea, vomiting, and buboes that oozed pus. Untreated bubonic plague had an 80% mortality rate within eight days, while pneumonic plague had a mortality rate of 90 to 95%.
How many people died from the Black Death in Europe and specific cities?
The Black Death killed between 25 and 60% of Europe's population, with estimates suggesting 45 to 50% died over four years. In Florence, the population dropped from 110,000 to 120,000 in 1338 to 50,000 in 1351, and half of Paris's population of 100,000 died.
What were the social and economic consequences of the Black Death?
The Black Death caused wages to soar due to labor shortages and led to the destabilization of feudalism. Landowners substituted monetary rents for labor services, and the value of the working class increased as commoners enjoyed more freedom.
When did the Black Death return to Europe and the Mediterranean after the initial outbreak?
The plague returned to Europe and the Mediterranean throughout the 14th to 17th centuries, with the second pandemic being particularly widespread in years such as 1360, 1363, 1374, 1400, 1438, 1439, 1456, 1457, 1464, 1466, 1481, 1485, 1500, 1503, 1518, 1531, 1544, 1548, 1563, 1566, 1573, 1588, 1596, 1599, 1602, 1611, 1623, 1640, 1644, 1654, 1664, and 1667.