See my lecture at the National World War One Memorial & Museum in Kansas City, MO on the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. Hear how the illness affected the war and the homefront.
See Video /*Was your family affected by the influenza pandemic that occurred a century ago? Chances are good that it was. The pandemic occurred in three waves. The first, from March through July 1918, was the mildest wave with a low number or deaths, but unusual in that it lasted through the early summer. The second wave … Continue reading "In the Grip of La Grippe: Spring 1918, the First Wave"
For more than twenty years I worked on national security policy with a decided emphasis on diseases and natural disasters. Even with my shift into genealogy in 2014, I can’t resist following the news of the novel Coronavirus. I am constantly looking for the signposts of pandemic and following information from health officials … Continue reading "Spanish Influenza Provides Lessons for Coronavirus"
One hundred years ago today, on January 17th, 1919, students at the University of Missouri were required to wear masks. Why? Because the scourge of influenza had returned. It was thought the nightmare had ended. The influenza epidemic had surged through the fall of 1918 and had dampened the joy over the end of the … Continue reading "The Unsung Heroes Behind the Masks"
Part One: The Outbreak
Genealogy is so much more than family trees, records and dates. People’s lives are shaped by the events of their time. One such event is the Spanish Influenza Pandemic. The disease took on many names including “Spanish Influenza,” “Spanish Lady,” “La Grippe” or simply the “Grip.” While it affected virtually every … Continue reading "Grip, Grippe and the Spanish Lady: The 1918-1920 Pandemic"
