The Black Death (Great Historic Disasters)

In 1347, Europe was hit by the worst natural disaster in its recorded history: the Black Death. Now believed to be a combination of bubonic plague and two other rarer plague strains, the Black Death ravaged the continent for several terrible years before finally fading away in 1352. Most historians believe that the pandemic, which also swept across parts of Western Asia and North Africa, annihilated 33 to 60 percent of Europe's population - roughly 25 to 45 million men, women, and children. This massive depopulation had a deep impact on the course of European history, speeding up or initiating important social, economic, religious, and cultural changes.

Series introduction author Chuck D redefined rap music and hip-hop culture as leader and cofounder of legendary rap group Public Enemy. His music addressed weighty issues about race, rage, and inequality with a jolting combination of intelligence and eloquence rarely heard before. A musician, writer, radio host, television personality, college lecturer, and activist, Chuck D is also the creator of Rapstation.com, a multiformat online resource for the global hip-hop community.