Influenza, or the flu, has likely been around for thousands of years, but the first well-documented flu pandemic occurred in 1580. Historical records suggest flu-like illnesses were present even in ancient times, but without modern diagnostics, it's hard to confirm.

Some key moments in flu history:

1580: First recorded flu pandemic, likely spread from Asia to Europe.

1918: The Spanish flu pandemic, the deadliest in modern history, killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide.

1957, 1968, 2009: Other notable pandemics caused by new flu virus strains.

NIH clinical trial of universal flu vaccine candidate begins.


COVID-19 has been around since late 2019.

But they found a vaccine for covid 19 in 6 months? Riiiiiiioght....