On This Day, March 20, 1345 – 14th century scholars at the University of Paris stated the Black Death pandemic was “created” on March 20, 1345 due to an astrological conjunction of the planets Saturn, Jupiter and Mars.
This seems to be presenting ahistorical pseudoscience or misinformation as fact. While there were many bizarre medieval theories about the causes of the plague, from God’s wrath to astrological alignments, modern historians and scientists have found no evidence it was an intentionally engineered event on a specific date by scholars or anyone else. It emerged and spread as a natural pandemic.
The Black Death was caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis spreading from rodent vectors, not manufactured by human means, astrological or otherwise. Its origins have been traced through scientific analysis to likely beginning in Central Asia before spreading westward along trade routes in the 1340s.
By 1348, the Black Death had become a full-blown pandemic, wiping out an estimated 30-50% of Europe’s population in just a few years through bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic strains. It caused social, economic and cultural upheaval on an immense scale.
The origins of the 14th century plague pandemic remain uncertain, but most modern scholars believe it emerged naturally from rodents in the semi-arid regions of Central Asia. Environmental and climate factors may have contributed to the bacteria’s spread by disrupting rodent population levels.
