A 5-Minute History of the 1918 Pandemic

The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history.

World War I was underway when the virus emerged and the wartime conditions (overcrowding and global troop movement) helped the 1918 flu spread.

Healthy adults 15 to 34 years of age experienced some of the highest death rates, which was an unusual characteristic of the virus.

The average life expectancy in the United States was lowered by more than 12 years as a result of the pandemic.

In the United States, the flu was first...