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U.S. Death Toll During Major Events | Britannica
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Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="Chmielewski, Kenny" data-authors-initial="Chmielewski, K." data-title="U.S. Death Toll During Major Events" data-published-date="8 May. 2023" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/us-death-toll-during-major-events" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" data-modal=".md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="U.S. Death Toll During Major Events" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/story/us-death-toll-during-major-events" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/story/us-death-toll-during-major-events">https://www.britannica.com/story/us-death-toll-during-major-events</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing font-12"> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/Kenny-Chmielewski/9604404" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Kenny Chmielewski</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Kenny is an associate cartographer at Britannica and has worked there since 2008. When not making maps and infographics for Britannica, he enjoys photographing the beautiful city of Chicago.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Kenny Chmielewski</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> </div> <article class="topic-content content mt-20"><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="8" data-descid="20"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="infogram"><script id="infogram_0__/cEypCLmU0g78QGBQUyyp" src="https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed.js?Itp" type="text/javascript" title=""></script></div></figure> <!--[BP1]--><p class="topic-paragraph">This infographic shows the death toll caused by major events during the history of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United States</a>, including the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/COVID-19" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">COVID-19</a> pandemic, in the form of a bar chart that compares the magnitude of each number.</p><!--[P1]--><!--[MOD1]--><span class="MOD1"></span> <!--[BP2]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Pearl-Harbor-attack" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">attack on Pearl Harbor</a> killed 2,404 Americans.</p><!--[P2]--><!--[MOD2]--><span class="MOD2"></span> <!--[BP3]--><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Hurricane-Maria" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hurricane Maria</a> in 2017 killed 2,982 Americans.</p><!--[P3]--><!--[MOD3]--><span class="MOD3"></span> <!--[BP4]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/September-11-attacks" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">September 11 attacks</a> killed 2,977 Americans.</p><!--[P4]--><!--[MOD4]--><span class="MOD4"></span> <!--[BP5]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Revolution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">American Revolution</a> killed 4,435 Americans.</p><!--[P5]--><!--[MOD5]--><span class="MOD5"></span> <!--[BP6]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/war-on-terrorism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">war on terrorism</a> started after the September 11 attacks killed 7,024 Americans.</p><!--[P6]--><!--[MOD6]--><span class="MOD6"></span> <!--[BP7]--><p class="topic-paragraph">An estimated 8,000 Americans were killed <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Galveston-hurricane-of-1900" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">in 1900 when a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas</a>.</p><!--[P7]--><!--[MOD7]--><span class="MOD7"></span> <!--[BP8]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/influenza-pandemic-H1N1-of-2009" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">H1N1 flu pandemic</a> killed 12,469 Americans.</p><!--[P8]--><!--[MOD8]--><span class="MOD8"></span> <!--[BP9]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Korean-War" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Korean War</a> killed 36,568 Americans.</p><!--[P9]--><!--[MOD9]--><span class="MOD9"></span> <!--[BP10]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Vietnam War</a> killed 58,200 Americans.</p><!--[P10]--><!--[MOD10]--><span class="MOD10"></span> <!--[BP11]--><p class="topic-paragraph">An estimated 100,000 Americans were killed during the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/1968-flu-pandemic" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">1968 flu pandemic</a>.</p><!--[P11]--><!--[MOD11]--><span class="MOD11"></span> <!--[BP12]--><p class="topic-paragraph">An estimated 116,000 Americans were killed during the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/1957-flu-pandemic" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">1957–58 flu pandemic</a>.</p><!--[P12]--><!--[MOD12]--><span class="MOD12"></span> <!--[BP13]--><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World War I</a> killed 116,516 Americans.</p><!--[P13]--><!--[MOD13]--><span class="MOD13"></span> <!--[BP14]--><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World War II</a> killed 405,399 Americans.</p><!--[P14]--><!--[MOD14]--><span class="MOD14"></span> <!--[BP15]--><p class="topic-paragraph">An estimated 675,000 Americans were killed during the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/influenza-pandemic-of-1918-1919" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">1918–19 flu pandemic</a>.</p><!--[P15]--><!--[MOD15]--><span class="MOD15"></span> <!--[BP16]--><p class="topic-paragraph">An estimated 752,000 Americans were killed during the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Civil War</a>.</p><!--[P16]--><!--[MOD16]--><span class="MOD16"></span> <span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var 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