The Black Death
Half of Europe dies within four years
See it on the timeline →In depth
Yersinia pestis followed trade routes from Central Asia, possibly amplified by Mongol warfare and climate fluctuation. In Europe an estimated 30–60 per cent of the population died between 1347 and 1351. The consequences were structural: labour became scarce and wages rose, feudal bonds weakened, and peasants gained bargaining power. The Church's authority was challenged because prayer did not help. In Norway the effect was especially deep: the population collapsed and the country slid into union with Denmark.
For children
A bacterium spread by rats and fleas arrived on ships from the Black Sea. Within four years about half of everyone in Europe was dead. In Norway so many died that whole farms stood empty for a century.
Connects to
Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org