The Black Death was a devastating bubonic plague pandemic that struck Europe between 1347 and 1351.

The disease was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and was transmitted by fleas carried by black rats.

It arrived in Europe via Genoese trading ships that had visited ports on the Black Sea.

The pandemic caused a catastrophic demographic collapse, killing an estimated one-third to one-half of Europe's population.

The social order was thrown into chaos, with mass burials, flight from cities, and a breakdown of traditional bonds.

Some people turned to extreme religious responses, such as the flagellant movement, who whipped themselves as penance.

The plague led to severe labor shortages across Europe.

These labor shortages gave surviving peasants and workers greater bargaining power, leading to higher wages and the decline of serfdom in Western Europe.

The immense loss of life led to a questioning of authority, including that of the Church.

The Black Death is considered a major turning point that accelerated the end of the medieval period.