Third plague pandemic

Quick Facts: Who was Third plague pandemic?

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Third plague pandemic

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The Third Plague Pandemic (1855-c. 1960) spread Yersinia pestis globally.

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Origins & Early Life

The third plague pandemic was a major plague pandemic that began in Yunnan, China, in 1855. Its name refers to its status as the third of at least three known major episodes of bubonic plague. This pandemic caused by the spread of the bacterium Yersinia pestis spread to all inhabited continents, and ultimately led to at least 15 million deaths worldwide, including 10~12 million in British Raj India and 2.2 million in China. It is estimated to have had one of the highest death tolls among pandemics in human history, though the third plague pandemic killed fewer people than the second plague pandemic (and possibly the first). According to the World Health Organization, the pandemic was considered active until 1960, when worldwide casualties dropped below 200 per year.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Plague deaths have continued at a lower level ever since, as plague persists in enzootic reservoirs across Asia, Africa, South America, and the western United States. The first plague pandemic began with the Plague of Justinian, which ravaged the Byzantine Empire and surrounding areas in 541 and 542; the pandemic persisted in successive waves until the middle of the 8th century. The second began with the Black Death, which killed at least one third of Europe's population in a series of expanding waves of infection from 1346 to 1353; this pandemic recurred regularly until the 19th century. The plague which spread from Yunnan along China's Southeast Coast and across the world manifested almost exclusively as bubonic plague, with documentation of incidental pneumonic and septicemic forms. It was carried around the world through ocean-going trade, through transporting infected persons, rats, and cargoes harboring fleas.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Historians of the late-Qing plague epidemics generally include the Manchurian plague epidemic of 1910–11, which killed 45,000–60,000 people, as defined within the third pandemic's scope. The pneumonic Manchurian plague epidemic was geographically, ecologically, genetically, and epidemiologically distinct from the bubonic plague which spread globally from Southern China. It spread throughout the region of Manchuria, reaching Vladivostok and Beijing (which was connected to Manchuria by the Imperial Chinese Railway), but not far beyond due to port and railway closures as well as preventive medical protocols. The bubonic plague was endemic in populations of infected ground rodents in Central Asia and was a known cause of death among the migrant and established human populations in that region for centuries. An influx of new people because of political conflicts and global trade led to the spread of the disease throughout the world from Asia to the rest of Europe, to reach Africa and the Americas.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1346: 1346 Milestone — The second began with the Black Death, which killed at least one third of Europe's population in a series of expanding waves of infection from 1346 to 1353; this pandemic recurred regularly until the 19th century.
2. 1855: 1855 Milestone — The third plague pandemic was a major plague pandemic that began in Yunnan, China, in 1855.
3. 1910: 1910 Milestone — Historians of the late-Qing plague epidemics generally include the Manchurian plague epidemic of 1910–11, which killed 45,000–60,000 people, as defined within the third pandemic's scope.
4. 1960: 1960 Milestone — According to the World Health Organization, the pandemic was considered active until 1960, when worldwide casualties dropped below 200 per year.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Third plague pandemic

True or False: “The Third Plague Pandemic was solely caused by the bacterium *Yersinia pestis* spreading through direct human-to-human contact.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While *Y. pestis* is the cause, the spread was facilitated by fleas and rats acting as vectors, alongside global trade routes.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam Mickiewicz — Historical peer (Died in 1855) (1855): National Poet of Poland, Romantic master, and leading voice of Slavic literature.
• Alice Freeman Palmer — Historical peer (Born in 1855) (1855): Pioneering American educator and advocate for women's higher education.
• Abdel Fattah al-Burhan — Historical peer (Born in 1960) (1960): Sudanese military officer and leader who assumed control of Sudan in 2019.
• Adam Clayton — Historical peer (Born in 1960) (1960): Irish-English bassist and founding member of the globally renowned rock band U2.
• Margaret I of Denmark — Historical peer (Born in 1353) (1353): Founder of the Kalmar Union, ruling queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
• A. J. Ayer — Historical peer (Born in 1910) (1910): Influential English philosopher known for logical positivism and emotivism.
• Ahmed Ali (writer) — Historical peer (Born in 1910) (1910): Pioneering Urdu writer, poet, and diplomat from British India to Pakistan.

Frequently Asked Questions about Third plague pandemic