A novel H1N1 influenza strain sparked a 2009 global pandemic

The 1957 and 1968 influenza pandemics caused millions of deaths worldwide

The 1957 H2N2 pandemic spread from East Asia, killing more than 1M globally, while the 1968 H3N2 pandemic began in Hong Kong and caused a similar toll, with both strains rapidly moving across continents.

Why the 1918 flu killed between 50 and 100 million people

The 1918–1920 flu pandemic (once called, incorrectly, the Spanish flu) killed quickly and in huge numbers, with estimates of the global death toll ranging from 50 to 100 million people. Several factors contributed to the high mortality rate: lack of antibiotics, the global disruption of World War I, and more.

Europe’s first recorded influenza pandemic swept the continent in 1580

The 1580 influenza pandemic, traced from Asia to Africa and into Europe, became the first flu outbreak clearly documented across the continent—killing tens of thousands and highlighting influenza’s potential for rapid global spread.

Influenza infects up to a billion people worldwide each year

The World Health Organization estimates that seasonal influenza causes about 1B cases annually, including 3 to 5M severe illnesses and between 290,000 to 650,000 deaths.

A timeline of major pandemics from 1899–2025

Modern pandemics have been defined by the race between globalization (which increases risk) and the development of new medicines. The Great Influenza epidemic claimed some 50 million lives, and the COVID-19 pandemic killed more than 7 million. In between, diseases like Ebola, cholera, AIDS, and more have devastated communities.

How the 1918 pandemic spurred developments in virology and vaccines

This article provides an in-depth historical account of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, including its impact on the global population and how its occurrence spurred significant advancements in the study of viruses—laying the groundwork for the...

Major genetic shifts in flu viruses can spark global pandemics

Antigenic shift happens when two different influenza viruses infect the same host and swap genetic material. The result is a brand-new subtype of influenza which, if easily spread among people, can trigger a worldwide pandemic.

Bird Flu is spreading—what does that mean for us and other species?

The rapid global spread of H5N1 bird flu—from remote Antarctic islands to US farms—shows how animal spillover, driven by human activity and ecological disruption, is accelerating pandemic risk across species long before sustained human transmission begins.

Hear firsthand stories from Americans who lived through the 1918 flu pandemic

This video shares personal accounts from survivors of the 1918 influenza epidemic, capturing memories of sickness, loss, and resilience. Their voices offer a glimpse into how ordinary people experienced one of history’s deadliest pandemics.

Visualizing the genetics of SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, began with an outbreak in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and rapidly spread worldwide in early 2020. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, leading to widespread lockdowns, travel restrictions, and economic disruptions.

The Spanish flu had a major impact on the 1919 NHL season

Just two years after the National Hockey League was officially formed, its champion was playing the PCHA champion for the Stanley Cup. The series was tied, going into the deciding Game 5, when all but three NHL players fell ill with the Spanish flu. No champion was crowned that year.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in immunizations in the US and worldwide

Public health funds and resources that were diverted to COVID-19 response reduced efforts to combat polio and vaccinations for polio and other diseases declined during the pandemic, putting more people at risk for polio.

Hollywood's efficient response to the Spanish flu made it a filmmaking destination

In 1918, the Great Influenza epidemic killed more than 675,000 Americans. Los Angeles was one of the first cities to shut down movie theaters, most of which were independently owned and couldn’t afford the revenue loss. The results were twofold: the quick response meant that Hollywood could bounce back faster than other film hubs, and it also contributed to the rise of vertical integration as studios stepped in to purchase the flailing theaters.

Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus remains extremely rare, so the 2026 hantavirus cruise ship outbreak doesn't mean we're facing a COVID-style pandemic risk.

How the World Bank's pandemic bonds were triggered during COVID-19

In 2017, the World Bank raised a chunk of emergency funds through bonds to help developing countries cover funds in the event of a pandemic. Had no pandemic occurred, investors would have received returns of 6% to 11%. But the global pandemic meant they lost all their money.

More than 4,000 people died from cholera in 2023

This global health threat sickened more than half a million people in 2023 and killed 4,007 people. That's a 71% increase in deaths as compared to a year earlier. (Report only offered in PDF format.)

'Tomato flu' outbreak in India turned out to be HFMD

An illness initially dubbed "tomato flu" in 2022 that sickened children in Kerala, India, with symptoms typical of hand, foot, and mouth disease turned out to be that—not a new ailment. A letter published in the prestigious journal The Lancet had initially described the illness as "a new virus" but at least some of the children ultimately tested positive for one of the viruses that causes HFMD, so it wasn't a new condition after all. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

See how Ebola tore through Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia in 2014-2016

Frontline traced how the outbreak started and spread across West Africa. documenting first-hand accounts and patient experiences. This Ebola outbreak was the deadliest to date, resulting in over 11,000 deaths.

Watch an expert's take on the rare disease hantavirus—and why it's not of great concern to the general population

This rare zoonotic disease, transmitted to humans primarily through infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, is rarely spread between people. The disease was of particular concern in spring 2026, when an outbreak occurred on a 150-person cruise ship, prompting a flurry of action, including contact tracing for passengers in their home countries. The disease can be fatal. But early care—primarily oxygen support—can help patients survive.

Explore a 3D model of the influenza virus

This interactive 3D model reveals the influenza virus’s structure—its outer coat and spike proteins—and compares it with other well-known viruses, offering a clear view of how flu differs from pathogens like HIV or coronaviruses.

See how Ebola tore through Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia in 2014-2016.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, readers returned to Camus' 'The Plague'

The 1947 novel, about a city in Algeria that enacts a city-wide quarantine to battle a deadly outbreak, captured readers' attention in the early months of 2020. In the UK, over 2,000 copies of the book were sold in March of that year, over six times what it had sold the month before.

A look at the 2025 measles outbreak in West Texas and surrounding areas

A measles outbreak in the summer of 2025 ultimately led to more than 900 cases and the deaths of two young children. The highly contagious virus requires vaccination rates near 95% to achieve herd immunity—the Texas outbreak spread through areas of significant mistrust of vaccines, including the area’s Mennonite community.

West Nile virus was detected in UK mosquitoes for the first time in 2023

Fragments of the virus were detected in mosquitoes that were being collected in Britain for the first time in 2023, but the UK government considers the overall risk to people to be low. As of spring 2026, there have never been detected locally-acquired cases of the disease.

The best time to get a flu vaccine may be late-September or early-October

The body needs a few weeks after the vaccine to build up a sufficient antibody response, which eventually wanes. Scheduling the vaccine accordingly can maximize its effectiveness when flu season ramps up.

The global impacts of the 1877 'super' El Niño and what could result from similar future events

The 1877 El Niño event lasted approximately 18 months, raised temperatures in the Niño 3.4 region of the equatorial Pacific Ocean by 2.7 degrees Celsius (4.86 degrees Fahrenheit) above average, and contributed to a global famine that killed more than 50 million people. Such events are expected to exacerbate drought-related risks to global food security, driving up food prices worldwide. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Volcanic activity may have triggered the Black Death by spewing gases that led to crop failures in Europe, thus forcing the import of grain ships with plague-infested fleas.

COVID-19 disruptions revived ancient chinampa farming in Mexico City

When the pandemic disrupted food supply chains, chinamperos—farmers who cultivate the Aztec-era “floating gardens” built atop shallow lakebeds—shifted to direct sales in the city, boosting their visibility and reconnecting residents with a longstanding local agricultural tradition.

11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

Some researchers have labeled nomophobia, the fear of being without your phone, as 'the phobia of the 21st century.'

See a 3D reconstruction of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital that was home to an estimated population of 200,000 to 400,000.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

Elk Cloner, the first computer virus to spread in public, was written as a practical joke by Richard Skrenta, a Pittsburgh high school student.

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

Roughly 43 million US borrowers owe roughly $1.7T in student debt, the second-largest source of consumer debt behind mortgages.

The first line of 'immortal' human cells, which can divide indefinitely and are used in scientific research, was nonconsensually taken from a Black woman.

'Shogun,' a 1980s TV series, helped popularize sushi in the US by stimulating an American interest in Japanese culture.

In 2009, the nation was gripped by the story of a missing young boy who was believed to be floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon, until it was revealed that he was at home the whole time.

Take a 3D tour of the Hajj, Islam's annual pilgrimage to Mecca, undertaken by over 1.5 million Muslims.

El Niño, Spanish for 'the boy,' was named after Jesus Christ because the phenomenon resembled the weather changes observed around Christmastime.

Explore a list of the 100 best novels of all time, compiled by some of the world's best living writers, including Salman Rushdie, Stephen King, and Jennifer Egan.

After 25 people used virtual reality headsets to practice flying with virtual wings—flapping their arms—their visual cortex responded to the wings almost as if they were real arms, treating them as body parts.

See 33 images that became central to huge scandals, including a young Charles and Camilla, Michael Jackson's baby on a hotel balcony, and Hugh Grant's mugshot.

Brandi Chastain, the star of the 1999 US victory over China in the 1999 Women's World Cup, was a last-second choice to take the penalty kick that sealed the victory.

Poison ivy can cause rashes year-round since all parts of the plant contain urushiol, the oil that triggers our allergic response.

See how each of the more than two million known species relates to each other—and to common ancestors—in this zoomable tree of life.

Coral polyps reproduce via broadcast spawning, where entire reefs simultaneously release reproductive cells for about one hour, once a year.

The first horror movie is believed to be George Méliès' 1986 short 'The Haunted Castle,' which pioneered the use of special effects