29. The Justinian Plague Was Up There With the Black Death
The Black Death was history’s deadliest plague, but the Justinian Plague, 541 – 542 AD, gives it a run for its money in lethality and consequences. It was named after Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, during whose reign it occurred – and who came down with it, but survived. It is history’s first known recorded pandemic, because it swept across three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Like the Black Death, the Justinian Plague was caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium. Also like the Black Death, the Justinian Plague struck with a devastating initial outbreak, followed by several recurrences in succeeding years. By the time the last recurrence ended and the Justinian Plague had died out, it had killed an estimated 25 million to 100 million people.