The Worst Epidemics Throughout History

Mosquito Spread

Yellow fever was spread by mosquitos. That summer was one of the most overheated and humid on record at the time, so the insects came out in huge numbers. When winter finally came, all the mosquitos died out with the cold weather. It was only around then that the pandemic finally ceased. By that time though, over 5,000 people had already lost their lives. 

Advertisement

Next Page →

The More You Know

  • Glaciers and ice sheets hold about 69 percent of the world's freshwater.
  • The first time Reddit was mentioned in the New York Times, it was described as "foolish collectivism" that "grinds away the Web's edges and saps it of its humanity".
  • War pigs were used in ancient warfare to counter against war elephants, which feared the pigs (and their squeals) and would bolt. War pigs were sometimes lit on fire to enhance this effect.
  • The world's largest Barbie collection includes more than 15,000 dolls.
Next Page →