Tragedies that hit us through the ages

Throughout history, as humans spread across the world, infectious diseases have been a constant companion. Even in this modern era, outbreaks are nearly constant. So where does the death toll from Covid-19 rank among history’s most deadly pandemics?

200 million: Black Death (Bubonic Plague); 1347-51. The plague originated in rats and spread to humans via infected fleas. The outbreak wiped out 30-50% of Europe's population. It took more than 200 years for the continent's population to recover.
56 million: Small Pox in Mexico; 1520
40-50 million: Spanish Flu; 1918-19
30-50 million: Plague of Justinian; 541-42
25-30 million: HIV-AIDS; 1981-present
12 million: The Third Plague; 1855
5 million: Antonine Plague; 165-180
3 million: 17th Century Plagues; 1665
1.1 million: Asian Flu; 1957-58
1 million: Russian Flu; 1889-90
1 million: Hong Kong Flu; 1968-70
1 million: Cholera 6 Outbreak; 1817-1923
1 million: Japanese Smallpox Epidemic; 735-37
600,000: 18th Century Great Plagues; 1700
200,000: Swine Flu; 2009-10
100,000-150,000: Yellow Fever, Late 1800s
11300: Ebola, 2014-16
6,456*: Covid-19, 2019-present
850: MERS, 2015-present
770: SARS, 2002-03