Our World In Data, A Timeline of Pandemics

The Columbian Exchange had both positive and negative consequences for human societies. Among the negative consequences was the spread of disease. This timeline from Our World in Data provides information about the history of global pandemics, including the one resulting from the Columbian Exchange. Beginning in 1347 with the Black Death, the timeline traces pandemics and their death tolls up through the COVID-19 pandemic. Each major event on the timeline has a longer description in the accompanying article to further elaborate on its history and impact. Other data visualizations for specific diseases are also provided and the full dataset is available for download and analysis.