Pandemic! 2020

Just over a century ago, the world was gripped by the pneumonic influenza pandemic. This display compares two pandemics, one century apart.

In 1918 the virus, then known as the Spanish flu, raged through military camps of ally and enemy alike. It continued to strike down soldiers and civilians through the Armistice celebrations and into the new year of 1919. More people died of influenza than fighting in the war.

In 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) started its deadly spread. As this new virus continues to impact our communities, our health and our economy, history shows us that pandemics occur with startling frequency, yet in each generation there are stories of sacrifice and service, of loss and compassion.