List of Epidemics

Partial List of Epidemics

1657-Boston-Measles

1687-Boston-Measles

1690-New York-Yellow Fever

1713-Boston-Measles

1729-Boston-Measles

1732-33-Worldwide-Influenza

1738-South Carolina-Smallpox

1739-40-Boston-Measles

1747-CT, NY, PA, SC-Measles

1759-North America-Measles

1761-North America and West Indies-Influenza

1772-North America-Measles

1775-N. America NE-Unknown epidemic

1775-76-Worldwide- Influenza (one of the worst epidemics)

1783-Dover, DE- Bilious Disorder (extremely fatal)

1788-Philadelphia and New York-Measles

1793-Vermont-A “Putrid” fever and Influenza

1793-VA-Influenza (killed 500 in 5 counties in 4 weeks)

1793-Philadelphia- Yellow Fever (one of the worst epidemics)

1793-Harrisburg, PA-Unknown (many unexplained mysterious deaths)

1793-Middletown, PA-Unknown (many unexplained mysterious deaths)

1794-Philadelphia, PA-Yellow Fever

1796-97-Philadelphia, PA-Yellow Fever

1798-Philadelphia, PA-Yellow Fever (one of the worst)

1803-New York-Yellow Fever

1820-23-Nationwide-“Fever” (starts near the Schuylkill River)

1831-32-Nationwide-Cholera (English emigrants brought)

1832-NY City and other major cities-Cholera

1837-Philadelphia-Typhus

1841-Nationwide-Yellow Fever (worst in the South)

1847-New Orleans-Yellow Fever

1847-48-Worldwide-Influenza

1848-49-North America-Cholera

1850-Nationwide-Yellow Fever

1850-51-North America-Influenza

1852-Nationwide-Yellow Fever (New Orleans-8,000 deaths)

1855-Nationwide-Yellow Fever

1857-59-Worldwide- Influenza (one of the greatest epidemics)

1860-61-Pennsylvania-Smallpox

1865-73-Philadelphia, NY, Boston, New Orleans, Baltimore, Memphis, Washington DC-Smallpox, Cholera, series of recurring epidemics of: Typhus, Typhoid, Scarlet Fever, Yellow Fever

1873-5-North America and Europe-Influenza

1878-New Orleans-Yellow Fever (last great epidemic)

1885-Plymouth, PA-Typhoid

1886-Jacksonville, FL-Yellow Fever

1918-Worldwide-Influenza

Terminology In Genealogy

As you research your family history, you will run across a wide variety of terms used many years ago and wonder what they mean. At the top of this page there is a tab called Terminology and there you will find definitions for old and archaic terms that were used in the past. This is by no means a complete list just some that I have complied and collected over 40 plus years of research.

The Terminology section contains definitions for:

1. Basic Terminology
2. Old Terminology
3. Land and Legal Terminology
4. Medical Terminology

I hope that you will find them interesting to read and of use, too.