The 15 Worst Years in History
Throughout history, there have been good years and bad years, but it’s the worst years in history we are focusing on here. These years have been deemed “the worst” due to several major tragedies that impacted people all around the world.
Since the Big Bang created the universe, many years have been full of heartbreak, death, war, poverty, and plagues. Some years are full of bubonic plagues wiping out portions of the population while others feature World Wars that nearly destroyed the planet on more than one occasion.
These years were so terrible it’s tough to surpass them. It doesn’t matter if it was in the 1600s or 2000s; people just wanted these dreadful years to end. Let’s travel through time and highlight the worst years and look ahead to the best years that are yet to come.
1. 1348
There have been several deadly plagues throughout history that reduced the population. Nothing compares to the black death, which wreaked havoc throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia in the 1300s. The bubonic plague pandemic peaked in the year 1348.
With roughly 200 million people dead, the black death devastated the human population. 1348 was the peak of the black death’s rampage across Europe, making it one of the worst pandemics in history.
2. 1968
1968 was a harrowing and heartbreaking year for those that lived through it. The Vietnam War continued to claim lives, resulting in student protests across the country. While it was a vital year for the civil rights act, it was also a tragic year for the movement.
In April, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. rocked the movement and the world. A few months later, the shocking assassination of Robert Kennedy added to the heartbreaking year.
3. 1929
During the 1920s, Americans began to feel invincible as the country prospered. However, they soon entered one of the most challenging times in the country’s history. 1929 was a vital but terrible year around the globe. It marked the end of the roaring 20s and set the stage for the dirty 30s.
After the Dow Jones peaked in September, the stock market crashed in October, setting off the Great Depression. The stock market crash had ramifications felt around the globe for years after 1929. The 1930s were a difficult time, but it all started in 1929.
4. 2001
In America, 2001 was one of the most challenging years for the country. On September 11, 2001, two airplanes hijacked by terrorists flew into New York City’s World Trade Center’s North and South Towers, leading to the collapse of both structures. There was also a similar attack on the Pentagon.
The 9/11 attacks in New York City and other parts of America resulted in 3,000 deaths, 25,000 injured, and massive damage. It became a defining moment in the country’s history, one that profoundly impacted the nation and kicked off the war on terror.
5. 1644
Few years were as challenging as 1644. It was a tough year around the globe, but certain areas had noteworthy events. In Europe, the costly Thirty Years’ War continued, eventually resulting in the deaths of between 4.5 million to 8 million soldiers and civilians across Europe.
In China, a combination of natural disasters, an economic crisis, and a peasant rebellion led to the destruction of the 300-year-old Ming Dynasty. As you can see, 1644 was a life-altering year for those living in China and Europe.
See more about - 12 Of The Most Famous Psychopaths In History
6. 1944
1944 is easily one of the worst years in history. World War II continued throughout Europe and Asia, with soldiers dying daily on the battlefield. The rise of Nazi Germany throughout the 1930s included targeting the Jewish population.
In 1944, the Holocaust peaked with the murder of six million Jewish people in German-occupied Europe. Nazi Germany used various methods, including gas chambers in extermination camps. It remains one of the darkest periods in human history.
7. 410
At one point, Rome was the social and political center of the Roman Empire. As history proves, 410 AD was a lousy year for the Roman Empire. The Western Roman Empire suffered a series of invasions that had a long-term impact on the empire.
On August 24, 410 AD, King Alaric led the Visigoths to sack Rome. Conquering the spiritual center of Rome was a massive blow to the Empire that would be gone before 500 AD.
8. 1838
After the passage of the Indian removal act, the U.S. government relocated thousands of Native Americans, including Choctaw, Seminole, and Muscogee nations, to new lands west of the Mississippi River.
The last recorded removal occurred in 1838 with the displacement of the Cherokee nation from their homelands. Roughly 4,000 Cherokee died of disease and starvation on their way to the new lands. With the ethnic cleansing, 1838 became one of America’s most infamous years.
9. 2020
2020 was one of the most challenging years in recent memory. The COVID-19 pandemic led to global lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the 1930s. COVID resulted in cancellations or postponement of significant events. The pandemic led to a change in life socially and economically.
However, it was also one of the worst years for climate change leading to devastating bushfires and hurricanes. The year also saw protests break out after the murder of George Floyd, war around the globe, and the tragic death of Kobe Bryant.
10. 536
There’s often tough competition for the worst year of all time. However, 536 is always at the very top. Those that lived the year considered it the worst year of their lives due to volcanic winters. A volcanic eruption somewhere in the world, possibly Ireland, caused one of the most severe cooling periods in the planet’s history.
The explosion caused thick black ash to cover Europe, blocking the Sun. Widespread famine and disease caused massive problems also. That same year, the Roman Empire endured barbarian invasions that disabled the nation, upsetting Roman Emperor Justinian I so much that he had a nervous breakdown and died.
11. 1816
Throughout 1816 the climate and weather were abnormal around the globe. This led to 1816 being labeled the “year without summer.” The eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 in modern-day Indonesia was likely the cause of the abnormal temperatures, sending dust, ash, and sulfur into the air. Several countries struggled with food shortages, causing a major famine in China and other parts of the world.
12. 1918
As World War I was coming to an end, the Spanish flu broke out, rampaging throughout the world. The virus spread rapidly among young adults and peaked in 1918 and 1919, killing roughly 50 million people.
1918 also saw an outbreak of race riots and labor disputes in cities across America. It was a tumultuous year that felt like it would never end.
13. 1862
The American Civil War was a defining moment in American history. Abraham Lincoln and the Union prevailed over the Confederacy in a costly war, both financially and in regards to lives lost.
1862 was undoubtedly one of the deadliest years of the war. The bloodiest day in U.S. military history occurred in 1862 at the Battle of Antietam. Roughly 3,500 soldiers died during the battle, with another 17,000 severely injured.
14. 1962
The Cold War between the Soviet Union and America began just after World War II. It went on for several decades, officially ending in the early 1990s. 1962 was a pivotal year in the Cold War. In fact, it was the closest the Cold War got to becoming a full-scale nuclear war.
For 35 days, the world watched as the two nations made moves for a war that could have destroyed the planet. In the end, the Cold War remained cold, thankfully.
15. 74,000 BC
74,000 years ago, a supervolcanic eruption occurred in present-day Lake Toba in Indonesia. It’s one of the largest known explosions of its kind to happen in the Earth’s history. The Toba catastrophe theory suggests the eruption had a long-lasting impact on the planet. It indicates that the explosion resulted in a six to ten-year volcanic winter, causing widespread famine and disease.
The theory also implies that the event resulted in the human population bottleneck. In other words, the incident led to a dramatic decrease in the human population. Furthermore, the theory proposes humans almost became extinct, with only 3,000 to 10,000 humans remaining on the planet after the eruption and its long-term effects. However, many scientists dispute the theory.
See more about - 15 Worst Mistakes in History