History Shorts: The Black Death (1347)

The plague reached Europe in 1347 via eastern trade routes. The epidemic wrecked havoc in Asia before striking Europe. The disease earned the nickname "the black death" because of the black buboles that formed on victims. The pandemic reached apocalyptic proportions as it wiped out 1/3 to 1/2 of Europe and perhaps the Old World. In its wake, old feudal relations began to erode. The Black Death marked the beginning of the end of the Middle Ages.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGNVuS6WZUY