#27: The Spanish Flu, 1918
About four years ago, with the worldwide outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were all required to wear face masks. Some people followed the rules, understanding the importance of wearing a mask in public places, and others, well, didn’t. Either way, we’re all glad the days of wearing a face mask are behind us.

However, that wasn’t the first and only time in human history that people were required to wear a mask when stepping out of the house. The Spanish flu spread across the world in 1918 and caused nearly 50 million deaths. It was so deadly partly due to the lack of effective healthcare and treatment that we luckily have today.