The Worst Epidemics Throughout History

Typhoid Epidemic

For several years, typhoid was one of the most complex killers of its victims. In the first week of contracting the disease, those afflicted would get fevers, lose white blood cells, have bloody noses and intense abdominal pain. By week two, they begin to act delirious and weaken to exhaustion. By week three, a typhoid patient would endure all types of painful symptoms, either surviving or dying by this period. 

Advertisement

Next Page →

The More You Know

  • The Japanese created a smoke alarm for those who can't hear, which pumps super-spicy wasabi mist into the air to alert them.
  • A U.S. park ranger named Roy C. Sullivan held the record for being struck by lightning the most times, having been struck — and surviving — seven times between 1942 and 1977.
  • The first breakfast cereal had to be soaked overnight before it could be eaten.
  • A typical cloud weighs around 1.1 million pounds.
Next Page →