Last updated on January 30th, 2023 at 05:03 am

Throughout human history, there have been many dark and difficult times that have tested the resilience of our species. From devastating wars and pandemics to natural disasters and economic crises, some periods have been particularly challenging for those who lived through them.

Let’s look at ten of the most terrible years to be alive, examining the events, causes, and lasting effects of each.

1346 – The Bubonic Plage

The number one year on our list is 1346, when the bubonic plague began its rampage across Europe. This devastating disease ended the lives of 75-200 million people or 30-50% of Europe’s population.

Some of the symptoms included the likes of fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, and of course, the telltale buboes – or swellings in the lymph nodes.

Overall, the mortality rate was around 50%. It was an excruciating way to go, and people were often buried alive because they were too sick to move. Needless to say, it was a pretty terrible year to be alive.

1918 – War and Spanish Flu

The year 1918 was a terrible one for several reasons. First off, it was the last year of World War I – a war that took the lives of an estimated 16 million people. But if that wasn’t enough, 1918 also saw the outbreak of the Spanish Flu pandemic.

This deadly flu strain ended 50-100 million lives, totaling around 500 million cases, making it one of the worst pandemics in human history.

If you were to live this year, you would have seen the world plunged into darkness and despair. Many people you would have known and loved would have perished, and the world as you knew it would have been forever changed.

It was truly a horrific time to be alive.