The Spanish flu did not come from Spain.

1918

Wartime censors in the warring countries hushed up bad news, while newspapers in neutral Spain reported the outbreak freely, creating the impression that Spain was its source.

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The event

• Spanish flu pandemic1918–1920 · Camp Funston, Kansas. One of the first recorded outbreaks hit a Kansas army camp in March 1918, though the virus's origin is still debated. Troops spread it worldwide, infecting about a third of humanity. Estimates of deaths range from 17 to 50 million, more than the war itself killed.

20th century

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