[ **up: [[Plague and pestilence]]** | [[History,1300s]]** ] --- # The Black Death The Black Death was a pandemic lasting from 1347–1351 in medieval Europe.[^1] [[2024-0612. The Black Death is widely believed to have been the result of plague, caused by infection with the bacterium Yersinia pestis.|The Black Death is widely believed to have been the result of plague, caused by infection with the bacterium Yersinia pestis.]][^2] It is frequently claimed that the Black Death began in China;[^3] however, [[2024-0612. It is unlikely that the Black Death started in China.|it is unlikely that this was the case]].[^4] [^1]: ‘Black Death’, *Britannica*, last updated 26 May 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death. [^2]: ‘Black Death’, *Britannica*, last updated 26 May 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death. [^3]: ‘Black Death’, *Britannica*, last updated 26 May 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death. [^4]: Julia Hollingsworth, ‘A history of the plague in China, from ancient times to Mao - and now’, *CNN*, last updated 23 November 2019, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/23/asia/plague-china-history-intl-hnk-scli/index.html.